Search

Let I denote the set of all irrational numbers, θ ∈ I, and simple continued fraction expansion of θ be [a0, a1, ..., an, ...]. Then a0 is an integer and {an}n≥1 is an infinite sequence of positive integers. Let Mn(θ) = [0, an, an-1, ..., a1] + [an+1, an+2, ...]. Then the set of numbers { Mn(θ) ∣ θ ∈ I} is called the Lagrange Spectrum 픏. Notably 3 is the first cluster point of 픏. Essentially lim inf 픏 or . Perron [Über die approximation irrationaler Zahlen durch rationale, I, S.-B. Heidelberg Akad. Wiss., Abh. 4 (1921) 17 pp; Über die approximation irrationaler Zahlen durch rationale, II, S.-B. Heidelberg Akad. Wiss., Abh. 8 (1921) 12 pp.] has found that { Mn(θ) ∣ θ = [a0, a1, a2, ..., an, ...] and . This article forwards the value of Mn(θ) ∣ θ = [a0, a1, ..., an, ...] and an ≥ 4 frequently}, a long awaited cluster point of Lagrange Spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the effect of more than one quotient and improves a theorem of Tong which is a generalization of a theorem of Segre on asymmetric approximation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Castleman’s disease (giant or angio follicular lymph node hyperplasia) was first described by Benjamin Castleman in the year 1957 and was named after him. It is an uncommon lympho proliferative disorder which is localised to single lymphnode (unicentric) or multiple lymph node level systemically (multicentric).It is a very rare disorder characterised by non-cancerous growths. The most common sites of this are mainly thorax (mediastinum or lung hilum) and abdomen. It rarely occurs in cervical area. We report a case of unicentric cervical castleman’s disease of neck in an 18-year-old female, who came to ENT OPD with history of right sided neck mass since 6-8 months. After thorough clinical examination and investigations, complete excision of the mass was done. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of Castleman’s disease. On follow-up for one year no recurrence has been seen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relapsing polychondritis is an acute, recurrent and progressive inflammation and degeneration of cartilage and connective tissue including that within the tracheobronchial tree affecting men and women equally and usually in the middle age. Serious airway manifestations occur in at least half of these patients. We present to you an interesting case report of a 20-year-old female who presented with exertional breathlessness. Imaging revealed diffuse calcification of pinna and tracheobronchial tree. Based on the characteristic clinical features and imaging studies a diagnosis of relapsing polychondritis was attained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ectopic eruption of the teeth into the nasal cavity is a rare phenomenon. We report a case of nasal tooth in the left nasal cavity in a 64-year-male. We describe the clinical and radiological findings of the case and discuss their etiology, diagnosis, complications and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lupus vulgaris is the most common morphological variant of cutaneous tuberculosis accounting for approximately 59% of cases of cutaneous tuberculosis in India. We present a case of lupus vulgaris of external nose diagnosed early and treated with CAT-3 RNTCP regimen for six months without any nasal deformity except for a small scar over the dorsum of the nose. Patient followed up for one year after completion of the prescribed regimen, there being no recurrence of the lesion.

Laryngeal hemangiomas are relatively rare. Laryngeal hemangiomas occur in two main forms--infantile and adult laryngeal hemangiomas. While infantile hemangiomas are usually found to occur in the subglottis, adult hemangiomas occur commonly in the supraglottic regions of the larynx. Laryngeal hemangioma with cavernous features isolated to the free edge of the vocal fold is a very rare clinical finding. We present a case of hemangioma of the right vocal cord in an adult, which was managed successfully in our center.

We have hypothesized that high-dose multiple micronutrients, including antioxidants, as an adjunct to standard (radiation therapy and chemotherapy) or experimental therapy (hyperthermia and immunotherapy), may improve the efficacy of cancer therapy by increasing tumor response and decreasing toxicity. Several in vitro studies and some in vivo investigations support this hypothesis. A second hypothesis is that antioxidants may interfere with the efficacy of radiation therapy and chemotherapy. This hypothesis is based on the concept that antioxidants will destroy free radicals that are generated during therapy, thereby protecting cancer cells against death. None of the published data on the effect of antioxidants in combination with radiation or chemotherapeutic agents on tumor cells supports the second hypothesis. Scientific rationale in support of a micronutrient protocol to be used as an adjunct to standard or experimental cancer therapy is presented.

In spite of extensive research in molecular carcinogenesis, genes that can be considered primary targets in human carcinogenesis remain to be identified. Mutated oncogenes or cellular growth regulatory genes, when incorporated into normal human epithelial cells, failed to immortalize or transform these cells. Therefore, they may be secondary events in human carcinogenesis. Based on some experimental studies we have proposed that downregulation of a differentiation gene may be the primary event in human carcinogenesis. Such a gene could be referred to as a tumor-initiating gene. Downregulation of a differentiation gene can be accomplished by a mutation in the differentiation gene, by activation of differentiation suppressor genes, and by inactivation of tumor suppressor genes. Downregulation of a differentiation gene can lead to immortalization of normal cells. Mutations in cellular proto-oncogenes, growth regulatory genes, and tumor suppressor genes in immortalized cells can lead to transformation. Such genes could be called tumor-promoting genes. This hypothesis can be documented by experiments published on differentiation of neuroblastoma (NB) cells in culture. The fact that terminal differentiation can be induced in NB cells by adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) suggests that the differentiation gene in these cells is not mutated, and thus can be activated by an appropriate agent. The fact that cAMP-resistant cells exist in NB cell populations suggests that a differentiation gene is mutated in these cancer cells, or that differentiation regulatory genes have become unresponsive to cAMP. In addition to cAMP, several other differentiating agents have been identified. Our proposed hypothesis of carcinogenesis can also be applied to other human tumors such as melanoma, pheochromocytoma, medulloblastoma, glioma, sarcoma, and colon cancer.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx in children is rare. The management of laryngeal malignancy is more difficult in children than adults for several reasons: the aggressive nature of a tumor that is often diagnosed late in children; the delicacy of pediatric anatomic structures; intraoperative blood loss; long-term post-treatment complications; and psychological factors particular to children. A tracheostomized 13-year-old boy came to us with a 4-month history of hoarseness, breathing difficulty, and swelling in the neck. A detailed examination revealed that a transglottic tumor had infiltrated the thyroid and cricoid cartilage, the upper two tracheal rings, and the thyroid gland. Such an infiltration has not been previously reported. The lesion proved to be a well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. We performed a wide-field total laryngectomy, which was followed by radiotherapy. Unfortunately, the child survived only 3 years postoperatively.

The etiology of Alzheimer disease (AD) is not well understood; therefore, neither prevention strategies nor long-term effective treatment modalities are available for this disease. Based on laboratory and clinical studies, it appears that reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) that are generated extracellularly and intracellularly by various mechanisms are among the major intermediary risk factors that initiate and promote neurodegeneration in idiopathic AD. Therefore, multiple antioxidant supplements could be useful in the prevention of AD, and as an adjunct to standard therapy in the treatment of AD. The products of inflammatory reactions such as prostaglandins (PGs; PGE1 and PGA1), free radicals, cytokines, and complement proteins are neurotoxic. Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which inhibit the synthesis of PGs, reduce the rate of deterioration of cognitive functions in patients with advanced AD. Cholinergic drugs are routinely used in the treatment of AD to improve cognitive functions. Therefore, we propose that a combination of multiple antioxidants and NSAIDs may be more beneficial in the prevention of AD, and that this combination taken together with cholinergic drugs may be more effective in the treatment of AD than the individual agents alone. We also hypothesize that, in idiopathic AD, epigenetic components of neurons such as mitochondria, membranes, other membranous structures, and protein modifications--rather than the genes of neurons--are the primary targets for the action of neurotoxins including free radicals. In some familial AD, mutations in amyloid precursor protein and presenilins are associated with the risk of early onset of this disease; however, their mechanisms of action are not fully understood.

Purpose: Major neck surgeries are conventionally performed under general anesthesia. To receive general anesthesia, patients must meet certain criteria that have attendant limitations. This report discusses the investigator's experiences with performing major neck surgeries under regional anesthesia., Materials and Methods: Fifty major neck surgeries were performed (30 thyroidectomies, 10 laryngectomies with or without neck dissection, 3 thyroglossal cyst, 2 branchial cyst, and 5 submandibular gland excisions) under regional anesthesia over a period of 2 years between March 1994 and March 1996. The selection criteria of patients for regional anesthesia, the regional neural blocks used, the technique of performing these blocks, the efficacy, advantages, and limitations of these blocks are all discussed., Results: The combination of regional neural blocks and intraoperative medications produced superb analgesia and good patient compliance. Intraoperative blood loss was minimal. With postoperative complications being negligible, recovery was faster., Conclusion: Regional anesthesia is an effective alternative to general anesthesia for neck surgeries of less than 4 hours' duration.

The purpose of this investigation was to identify those agents and combinations of agents that help convert murine melanoma cells to cells of differentiated (normal-like) phenotype in culture. The agents used were 4-(3-butoxy-4-methoxybenzyl)-2-imidazolidinone (R020-1724), which is an adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) phosphodiesterase inhibitor that has never been tested on melanoma cells in culture, and d-alpha tocopheryl succinate (vitamin E succinate), which has previously been shown to inhibit growth and induce morphological differentiation in melanoma cells. The results indicated that R020-1724 by itself inhibited growth, reduced survival, caused morphological differentiation and increased the melanin content (one of the biochemical differentiated functions) in melanoma cells. Vitamin E succinate had a similar effect on the melanoma cells, which supports past research on this vitamin. A combination of R20-1724 and vitamin E succinate had a significantly greater effect on the melanoma cells than either of the agents by themselves. The agents identified in this study may provide useful tools for studying the mechanisms of differentiation in melanoma cells.