Month: February 2014

Admissions for PG upgradation programs in TAU will be closed shortly: Apply Soon

Upgrade your medical degree now

A unique program conceptualized to meet the growing demands of Specialty Physicians and to upgrade their knowledge and skills

Texila American University has developed knowledge; competency and research based programs in various specialties to augment the dearth of specialty in various fields.

Many developing countries often have physician shortages due to limited numbers and capacity of medical schools and want more for specialty doctors. Keeping the growing demands in mind, Texila American University, located in Guyana, S. America visualized and conceptualized this unique program.

PG Advanced Standing programs are a unique program offered in association with the University of Central Nicaragua where TAU is their Academic Partners. Medical professionals with PG Diploma’s or DNB candidates can pursue his/her MD/MS program under TAU.

Specializations Offered:

TAU offers various MD/MS programs catering to the needs of the Medical professionals. It includes

  • Internal Medicine/General Medicine
  • Anesthesiology
  • Chest Medicine
  • Dermatology
  • ENT
  • Family Medicine
  • OBG
  • Ophthalmology
  • Orthopedics
  • Pediatrics
  • Radiology
  • General Surgery

Eligibility

Pg dilploma holders with or with out experience. DNB pass/fail students and also students with MRCOG/MRCP/FRCP/FCPS (Part 1/Part2) completed doctors

Duration

  • 6 months – for MD/MS program MD/MS program
  • 1year – for DNB appeared doctors
  • 1 year – for doctors with 5 + years experience post PG diploma
  • 1.5 years – for doctors who have 3+ years experience post diploma
  • 2 years – for doctors with less than 3 years experience

Advantages of the program

  • Student can pursue from his own place without re-locating as it is an External program.
  • Study while you earn – Need not leave the present profession.
  • Can acquire wider knowledge and exposure.
  • Duration of the program would be minimal which depends on the qualification and experience obtained.
  • Advantages of upgrading from DNB or a Diploma course to MS/MD degree.
  • Apostilled MD/MS degree from WHO recognized University.

Salient features of PG Advanced Standing program

  • Knowledge, competency and research based customized program developed by TAU.
  • Unique program, whereby the PG Diploma holders, DNB candidates can pursue their MD/MS program under TAU.
  • DNB passed / failed candidates are eligible for this program.
  • Students acquire clinical skills through training in Hospitals and Clinics.
  • Students review contemporary articles and publish in international journals.
  • Students have the option of selecting the 6 months / 1 year / 1.5 years / 2 years programs according to their qualification.

Apply online for upgradation programs

Burned baby in a gas explosion arrives in Scotland

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A baby who was badly burned in a gas explosion in Pakistan has arrived in Scotland for life-saving treatment.

Mohammad Sudais was just under two months old when an explosion ripped through the apartment block where he stayed in Peshawar last December.

The child’s uncle, who lives in Glasgow, applied for a visa so his nephew can get treatment in Scotland.

The accident killed his father Mohammad Ameen, 30, mother Sumaira, 28, and 13-month-old brother Abdul Haseeb.

Doctors in Pakistan said they could do no more for the baby and recommended that he be treated in Glasgow.

The child and his uncle, Mohammad Asif, arrived on an Emirates flight at Glasgow Airport just before 19:00 on Thursday.

Mohammad was taken to Yorkhill Hospital where nurses and doctors will spend the next few days assessing him.

The NHS are meeting the cost of his specialist treatment.

Glasgow charity Positive Action in Housing (PAH) has been part of the campaign to allow Mohammad to receive treatment in Scotland.

The charity’s trustee Tom Harrigan is also to be a trustee of the Baby Mohammad Appeal.

Special needs
He said: “We are very glad Baby Mohammad is now in Scotland. I personally would like to thank everyone who donated so generously to this appeal.

“I’d also like to show my appreciation to the Scottish government for its spontaneous support.

The money raised will be utilised to help with Baby Mohammad’s present and future special needs, and we will keep everyone updated as to his progress.”

PAH director Robina Qureshi said: “When we began this appeal 12 days ago we never imagined the generosity that would come forward from people across the UK.

“I’m glad we were able help in some small way.”

She added: “Baby Mohammad’s arrival in Scotland is a measure of this country’s renowned humanitarian spirit. For now, he is Scotland’s baby.”

Source: BBC news

Admissions going on for MCh programs in Texila American University

Texila American University has developed this”Knowledge Based Assessment” program leading to M. Ch Certification (Magister Chirurgie). The aim and objectives of the M. Ch Certification course is to provide research based Masters Degree, designed to gain super specialty experience in the respective specialization.

Programs Offered:
Mch Trauma and Orthopedics

Eligibility:

MB ChB / MBBS or an equivalent qualification and must possess either. MS orthopedics/DNB/Dip. Orthopedics/FRCS/ MRCS or an equivalent specialist qualification

Age: No age bar, Candidates with experience in the field will be given preference

Advantages Of The Program:

  • Course Ware is done online.
  • Clinical Component can be done from Current location of work.
  • Supported by Program Chair- who is subject matter expert.
  • Duration; 1 year program for the MBBS doctors and those who have relevant diplomas.
  • Similar to programs offered by University of Edinburg UK.

Salient Features Of The Program:

  • The aim and objectives of the “Magister Chirurgie” M.Ch course are to provide a Research based Masters Degree, designed to gain super specialty experience in the particular subject.
  • This course is designed for the upcoming surgeons and as well for the senior surgeons wanting to update their knowledge and gain an additional qualification.
  • M.Ch candidates are exposed for the publication of at least two research articles in refereed journals / international journals.
  • There is no age bar. Candidates with experience in the field will be given preference.
  • Students have the opportunity of pursuing a Research based program and submit a thesis at the end of the program.

Apply Online: 

IMS-BHU researchers identify novel drug target for treating Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers at the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University (IMS-BHU) have identified RhoA as a novel drug target in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The study has been published in the FASEB Journal.

Dr Debabrata Dash, professor and head, department of biochemistry, IMS-BHU, said, “We have discovered a novel drug target of amyloid beta toxicity and Alzheimer’s disease in platelet model. We have found that amyloid beta exercises its activity on a cell through activation of a small GTP-binding protein known as RhoA. When we inhibit RhoA activity by employing pharmacological inhibitors, the toxic effects of amyloid beta are prevented. This information would have significant implications in drug development against Alzheimer’s disease.”

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of cognitive decline and memory loss in the elderly. Although local deposit of a small peptide called ‘amyloid-beta’ is known to be responsible for Alzheimer pathology, the underlying molecular mechanism remains largely obscure. This is the reason why there is no effective therapy against this highly debilitating condition.

Platelets are blood cells that are responsible for stoppage of bleeding at the site of injury. Interestingly, platelets are a major source of amyloid-precursor protein in blood.

Dr Dash and co-workers (Vijay Sonkar and Paresh Kulkarni) at Banaras Hindu University have identified target molecules of amyloid-beta in cells using platelets as peripheral model of neurons.

Their study showed that amyloid-beta was able to strongly stimulate platelets leading to aggregate formation. Intravenous administration of the peptide in mouse accelerated thrombus formation in pulmonary vessels.

The effect of amyloid-beta on platelets was found to be mediated through activation of RhoA, a small GTP-binding protein responsible for cytoskeletal reorganization in cells, and that inhibition of RhoA by a specific pharmacological agent reversed the effects of amyloid-beta on platelets.

In order to understand molecular underpinnings amyloid action, researchers went further to demonstrate phosphorylation of downstream effectors of RhoA, namely MYPT1 and myosin light chain, when the cells were exposed to amyloid-beta.

According to the researchers, patients of Alzheimer’s also have clotting abnormalities, which could be explained by amyloid-beta-induced activation of platelets.

“The findings of this study thus identify RhoA as a novel drug target in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, and unravel the possible cause of clotting abnormalities seen in these patients,” said Dr Dash.

Sourrce: India Medical Times

 

Master of Medical Science Program : Admissions Open : Texila American Univesity

Texila American University (TAU) gives you the flexibility, resources and expertise to reach your educational goals. Unlike traditional classroom experiences the TAU focuses on high technology learning

Texila American University has developed knowledge; competency and research based customized Master of Medical Science (MMSc) programs in various medical specialties to augment the dearth of specialty doctors in various medical fields. Similar programs are very much in vogue in countries like United Kingdom, Australia and Malaysia. Final Degree will be offered by UCN.

Program Offered:

Duration : 1 year

Eligibility : Completion of Bachelors in Medicine with medical council registration to practise

Salient features of MMSc Program

  • Texila American University has developed knowledge, competency and research based customized Master of Medical Science programs in various medical specialties to augment the dearth of specialty doctors in various medical fields.
  • The MMSc programs are also offered in the form of diplomas for the students to get benefited in various aspects.
  • Students will be able to procure a world class Master’s degree in a span of one year.
  • The MMSc programs are also offered in the form of diplomas for the students to get benefitted in various aspects.
  • The main thrust of the program is to gain knowledge and competencies through blended learning which is acquired through an appropriate interplay of course work, clinical work and research
  • Work in hospitals or attend hospitals/clinics to acquire necessary clinical skills.
  • Students have the opportunity to attend CME programs to gain more credits.Students are exposed to Article Reviews and Publications to understand the contemporary innovation and research in the concerned specialty.

Apply online for MMSc programs:

Admissions Open: MD / MS program in Texila American University

Texila American University (TAU) has developed knowledge and skill based program; Masters in Medicine ( M.Med ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by medical schools to medical doctors following a period of instruction and examination. The degree is awarded in both surgical and medical subspecialties and includes a dissertation component involving original research.

Programs Offered:

This is a unique program offered by TAU, whereby students who have completed their under Graduation in MBBS can pursue the MD/MS program through Texila.

Duration: 3 years

Eligibility: Completion of Bachelors in Medicine with medical council registration to practice

Royal College Examinations training provided by expert faculties along with the MD/MS program

The various specializations offered are:

  • Internal Medicine
  • OBG
  • Dermatology
  • Anesthesia
  • Pediatrics
  • Radiology
  • General Surgery
  • Orthopedics
  • Pathology
  • ENT
  • Psychiatry

Salient features of PG Regular (MD/MS) program:

  • PG Regular program is a unique program offered by TAU, whereby students who have completed their under graduation in MBBS can pursue the MD/MS program through Texila.
  • Students are selected based on their educational qualification.
  • Students who have completed their MBBS are enrolled in the program in university approved Hospitals for training.
  • Enrollment of students takes place twice a year – March and September.
  • Since the PG programs are affiliated to 3 major Universities abroad and 5 major hospitals in India, wide recognition is achieved worldwide for the students.
  • Teaching the skills necessary to sustain a lifetime of learning.
  • The main highlight of this program is that the curriculum is designed in lines with MRCP/MRCS/FRCR pattern.
  • Students are given training for taking up the MRCP/MRCS/FRCR exams which facilitates the students to get recognition worldwide and obtain a degree on par with the global standards.
  • Royal College Examinations training provided by expert faculties along with the MD/MS program.

Affiliated Training Hospitals:

  1. Narayana Hrudayalaya Hospital | Bengaluru | India
  2. KG Hospital | Coimbatore | India
  3. Ruby Hall Clinic | Pune | India
  4. Mata Chanan Devi Hospital | New Delhi | India

  Apply online:  

Long hours on smartphones may affect eyesight

A woman in China, who spent many hours peering at her smartphone in the dark, found that her right retina had become detached.

Liu felt her right eye had been “veiled” since last week. Liu habitually plays with her smartphone for two to three hours each day in the dark, Xinhua reported Saturday.

“When the doctor covered my left eye, everything I saw with my right was distorted. Rectangular objects become elliptical,” she said.

The doctor who treated Liu said she suffered a partial retina detachment and blamed using her smartphone in the dark for the trouble.

Zhao Bingkun, an ophthalmologist in Zhejiang province, said long hours staring at bright screen in the dark can cause the ciliary muscle to overcontract, affecting its ability to accommodate the changes in the lens when viewing objects at varying distances.

Retina detachment can lead to blindness, and ophthalmologists are seeing a growing number of patients suffering from the condition after staring at the screens of computers and handsets for too long.

A man in China’s Fujian province, who spent 10 hours each day running a shop at online marketplace Taobao.com, lost vision in his right eye in November last year.

In a country increasingly obsessed with staying wired, health professionals have long called for self-restraint and proper protection by smartphone and tablet users.

Source: DNA india

Healthy liver cells created in lab

In a path-breaking research, scientists have discovered a way to transform skin cells into mature, fully functioning liver cells that flourish on their own.

The technique could serve as an alternative for liver-failure patients who do not require full-organ replacement or who do not have access to a transplant owing to limited donor organ availability.

Researchers at Gladstone Institutes and University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) revealed a new cellular reprogramming method that transforms human skin cells into liver cells that are virtually indistinguishable from the cells that make up liver tissue.

“Earlier studies tried to reprogramme skin cells back into a stem cell-like state in order to then grow liver cells. However, generating these pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells, and then transforming them into liver cells was not always resulting in complete transformation,” explained Sheng Ding, senior investigator at Gladstone Institutes.

“So we thought that, rather than taking these skin cells all the way back to a stem cell-like state, perhaps we could take them to an intermediate phase,” he added

Instead of taking the skin cells back to the beginning, the scientists took them only part way, creating endoderm-like cells.

Endoderm cells are cells that eventually mature into many of the body`s major organs – including the liver.

This step allowed them to generate a large reservoir of cells that could more readily be coaxed into becoming liver cells.

Next, the researchers discovered a set of genes and compounds that can transform these cells into functioning liver cells.

After just a few weeks, the team began to notice a transformation.

“The cells began to take on the shape of liver cells and even started to perform regular liver-cell functions,” said Milad Rezvani from University of California.

They transplanted these early-stage liver cells into the livers of mice.

Two months post-transplantation, the team noticed a boost in human liver protein levels in the mice.

Nine months later, cell growth had shown no signs of slowing down.

These results offer new hope for the millions of people suffering from, or at risk of developing, liver failure.

At present, the only option is a costly liver transplant.

The power of regenerative medicine already allows scientists to transform skin cells into cells that closely resemble heart cells, pancreas cells and even neurons, concluded the study that appeared in the journal Nature.

Source: zee news

Prostate cancer chances rise with vitamin E, selenium supplements

The trial was stopped earlier than planned because it showed no protective effect for selenium and suggested an increased risk of cancer from vitamin E. Researchers told the men in the study to stop taking the supplements and kept checking in with them.

Investigators then re-analyzed the data for 1,739 men from the trial who were previously diagnosed with prostate cancer, compared with 3,117 others, without prostate cancer, who were matched to the patients by race and age.

The focus of the research then shifted to how the amount of selenium in the men’s bodies before they started taking supplements affected cancer rates.

The bottom line was there were no benefits to any men from either selenium or vitamin E supplements, said researchers. Taking selenium supplements increased the risk of high-grade cancer among men who had naturally high selenium levels.

“Men using these supplements should stop, period,” study author Alan Kristal of the Public Health Sciences division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle said in a release.

Neither selenium nor vitamin E supplementation offers any known benefits, only risks, he said.

“While there appear to be no risks from taking a standard multivitamin, the effects of high-dose single supplements are unpredictable, complex and often harmful.”

There are still open questions about selenium and prostate cancer risk, according to a journal editorial published with the study. For example, animal studies suggest the form of selenium matters, such as whether it comes from pills, enriched wheat and broccoli, or yeast.

“We need to revisit the question of evaluating the prevention of a single disease in healthy people, where competing risks may obscure reality. Even if a subset can be identified that would benefit from some form of selenium or vitamin E supplementation, it must not be only a benefit to a single gland or based on one disease,” biostatistician Paul Frankel from City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte, Calif. concluded in the editorial.

The U.S. National Cancer Institute funded the study.

Source: CBC news

Soon, more efficient vaccines for meningitis and pneumonia

Researchers have discovered the presence of a novel subtype of innate lymphoid cells in human spleen essential for the production of antibodies.

This work was done by the B cell Biology research group at IMIM (Institut Hospital del Mar d’Investigacions Mediques) in Barcelona, directed by Dr. Andrea Cerutti, ICREA research professor and leader in the field of B lymphocyte biology.

Innate lymphoid cells were recently described by the scientific community and represent the first line of immunological defence on our body surfaces, which are constantly exposed to bacteria, such as the intestine or skin.

Dr. Giuliana Magri, member of the research group of B Cell Biology at IMIM and first author in the paper, said that for the first time it has been described both their presence and function in human spleen. We have discovered how these cells regulate the innate immune response of a subset of splenic B lymphocytes that are responsible to fight against encapsulated bacteria, causative agents of meningitis or pneumonia.

This new finding improves our understanding on how the immune system protects us against infections.

This research has been published in the journal Nature Immunology.

Source: sify news