Utility of nuclear stress imaging for detecting coronary artery bypass graft disease

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The value of Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography stress myocardial perfusion imaging (SPECT-MPI) for detecting graft disease after coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) has not been studied prospectively in an unselected cohort. METHODS: Radial Artery Versus Saphenous Vein Graft Study is a Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study to determine graft patency rates after CABG surgery. Seventy-nine participants agreed to SPECT-MPI within 24 hours of their coronary angiogram, one-year after CABG. The choice of the stress protocol was made at the discretion of the nuclear radiologist and was either a symptom-limited exercise test (n=68) or an adenosine infusion (n=11). The SPECT-MPI results were interpreted independent of the angiographic results and estimates of sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were based on the prediction of a graft stenosis of [greater than or equal to]70% on coronary angiogram. RESULTS: A significant stenosis was present in 38 (48%) of 79 patients and 56 (22%) of 251 grafts. In those stress tests with an optimal exercise heart rate response (>80% maximum predicted heart rate) (n=26) sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of SPECT-MPI for predicting the graft stenosis was 77%, 69% and 73% respectively. With adenosine (n=11) it was 75%, 57% and 64%, respectively. Among participants with a suboptimal exercise heart rate response, the sensitivity of SPECT-MPI for predicting a graft stenosis was <50%. The accuracy of SPECTMPI for detecting graft disease did not vary significantly with ischemic territory. CONCLUSIONS: Under optimal stress conditions, SPECT-MPI has a good sensitivity and accuracy for detecting graft disease in an unselected patient population 1 year post-CABG.     

An Immuno-informatics driven Epitope study from the molecular interaction of JEV non-structural (NS) proteins with Ribophorin (RPN)

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is an acute viral infection of the central nervous system where the JE virus infects the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and rapidly accumulates substantial amount of seven different nonstructural proteins (NS). These NS proteins tend to bind on a glycoprotein receptor, ribophorin (RPN) resulting in the malfunctioning of ER in host cells, subsequently triggering an unfolded protein response. Therefore, it is of interest to predict the best possible antigenic determinants in the NS protein capable of eliciting immune response as a strategy to combat JE. Hence, it is our interest to explore the most potent NS protein among all showing the best possible molecular interaction with the RPN receptor present on ER. However, the structures of these NS protein and RPN are currently unknown. Thus, we modeled their structures using the established homology modeling techniques in the MODELLER 9v10 software. The molecular docking of NS proteins with RPN was subsequently completed using the Discovery Studio 2.5 software suite. The docked conformations of RPN with NS were further analyzed and its graphical interpretations were presented for identifying the most potential NS protein for efficient epitope activity. Further, the B cell epitopes were mapped using BCPred and the predicted epitope regions are documented. The data presented in this report provides useful insights towards the design and development of potential epitopes to generate a vaccine candidate against JEV.     

White grubs,Holotrichia rustica and Holotrichia mucida (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) as pests of teak (Tectona grandis L. f.) seedlings

Abstract Field observations were carried out between 2002 and 2005 on bio‐ecology of white grubs infesting teak (Tectona grandis Linn. f.) seedlings at Ramdongari Forest Nursery, Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra, Nagpur in central India. The study collected the data required for an integrated pest management strategy against the white grubs. The species damaging teak seedlings were Holotrichia rustica (Burmeister) and H. mucida Gyllenhal. The beetles (adults) of both these species began to emerge just after the pre‐monsoon showers and when the relative humidity had risen rapidly over several days, but before the first monsoon rains. While the adults fed and mated on naturally growing bushes of Ziziphus jujuba, Z. mauritiana, Z. xylopyra, Acacia leucophloea and A. catechu immediately after the emergence from the teak beds in the nursery, the immature stages (grubs) of both species fed on roots of the teak seedling, leading to plant death. This is the first report of (i) damage caused to teak seedlings by grubs of H. rustica and H. mucida, and (ii) of Z. jujuba and Z. mauritiana being hosts for the beetles of H. mucida and H. rustica. It is also the first detailed report on the field bio‐ecology of the H. rustica and H. mucida as major pests of teak. White grubs are among the toughest‐to‐manage pests of economic importance and information presented here on the pest incidence and damage of H. rustica and H. mucida is important to researchers and nursery field managers for the management of these pests on teak.