Effect of NaCl and Na2SO4 salinities and light conditions on seed germination of purslane (Portulaca oleracea Linn.)

Portulaca oleracea Linn., commonly known as purslane, is a C4 succulent and salt tolerant weed. The present work was focused on the seed germination of purslane under different levels of NaCl and Na2SO4 (25, 50, 100 and 200 mM) salinity along with continuous dark and light conditions. Results indicated that both salinity treatments had negative impact on seed germination under both light conditions. Interestingly, seed germination percentage of purslane was high under both salinity treatments and continuous light conditions as compared to dark conditions. The differential response of purslane’s seed germination under NaCl and Na2SO4 salinity and light conditions suggests weediness of this plant under adverse environmental conditions. The present work might be helpful for agricultural practices dealing with the problem of this weed

Computed tomography guided laser ablation of osteoid osteoma: a study of 30 cases

Background: Osteoid osteoma (OO) is a benign but painful bone lesion that primarily occurs in children and young adults 1. Male:Female ratio is 3:1. The aim of the study was to present our experience of CT guided LASER  ablation  of  radiologicaly proven Osteoid osteomas  in the various bones.Methods: Over the period of 5 years 30 cases of osteoid osteomas in various bones diagnosed on various modalities were treated by CT guided LASER ablation. Bone wise distribution of cases was spine (3), upper end of femur (11), lower end of femur (6), upper end of tibia (4), upper end of humerus (3), lower end of radius (2) and calcaneum (1). 22 patients were treated under spinal and regional anesthesia and 8 patients were treated under short general anesthesia. All the patients were treated on day care basis. The LASER fiber was inserted in the nidus under CT guidance through bone biopsy needle and 1800 joules energy delivered in the lesion continuous mode.Results: 29 (96%) patients have complete relief of pain in twenty-four hours after LASER ablation, One week after treatment all 30 patients were pain free. No neurologic complication was observed in any of our patients with spinal osteoid osteomas.Conclusions: CT guided LASER ablation is a safe, simple and effective method of treatment for osteoid osteoma

Antioxidant, analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of Leucas cephalotes (Roxb.ex Roth) Spreng

The whole plant of the methanolic extract from Leucas cephalotes was screened for invitro antioxidant (using the DPPH method), invivo analgesic (using hot plate test in mice) and anti-inflammatory (using rat paw edema test) activities. The methanolic extract of Leucas cephalotes (MELC) scavenged the DPPH radicals in a dose-dependent manner. The IC50 value to scavenge DPPH radicals was found to be 421.3µg/ml. A significant (pO extrato metanólico total de Leucas cephalotes foi submetido à triagem para as atividades antioxidante in vitro (utilizando o método DPPH), analgésica (utilizando teste da placa quente, em camundongos) e antiinflamatória (utilizando teste de edema da pata de rato), nas doses de 200 e 400 mg/kg. O extrato metanólico de Leucas cephalotes (MELC) inativou radicais difenil picril hidrazila (DPPH) de forma dose-dependente. O IC50 para essa atividade foi de 421,3 µg/mL. Observou-se atividade analgésica significativa (p<0,0005) a 60 minutos, com 200 mg/kg, e, com 400 mg/kg, observou-se atividade máxima. A resposta antiinflamatória máxima foi produzida, respectivamente, em 3 h e 2 h, com doses de 200 e 400 mg/kg. Estes resultados sugerem que o extrato metanólico de Leucas cephalotes apresenta efeitos analgésico e antiinflamatório significativos, comparáveis aos fármacos padrão

Structured headache services as the solution to the ill-health burden of headache: 1. Rationale and description

In countries where headache services exist at all, their focus is usually on specialist (tertiary) care. This is clinically and economically inappropriate: most headache disorders can effectively and more efficiently (and at lower cost) be treated in educationally supported primary care. At the same time, compartmentalizing divisions between primary, secondary and tertiary care in many health-care systems create multiple inefficiencies, confronting patients attempting to navigate these levels (the “patient journey”) with perplexing obstacles. High demand for headache care, estimated here in a needs-assessment exercise, is the biggest of the challenges to reform. It is also the principal reason why reform is necessary. The structured headache services model presented here by experts from all world regions on behalf of the Global Campaign against Headache is the suggested health-care solution to headache. It develops and refines previous proposals, responding to the challenge of high demand by basing headache services in primary care, with two supporting arguments. First, only primary care can deliver headache services equitably to the large numbers of people needing it. Second, with educational supports, they can do so effectively to most of these people. The model calls for vertical integration between care levels (primary, secondary and tertiary), and protection of the more advanced levels for the minority of patients who need them. At the same time, it is amenable to horizontal integration with other care services. It is adaptable according to the broader national or regional health services in which headache services should be embedded. It is, according to evidence and argument presented, an efficient and cost-effective model, but these are claims to be tested in formal economic analyses

Diagnostic accuracy of a clinical diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: An international case-cohort study

We conducted an international study of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) diagnosis among a large group of physicians and compared their diagnostic performance to a panel of IPF experts. A total of 1141 respiratory physicians and 34 IPF experts participated. Participants evaluated 60 cases of interstitial lung disease (ILD) without interdisciplinary consultation. Diagnostic agreement was measured using the weighted kappa coefficient (\u3baw). Prognostic discrimination between IPF and other ILDs was used to validate diagnostic accuracy for first-choice diagnoses of IPF and were compared using the Cindex. A total of 404 physicians completed the study. Agreement for IPF diagnosis was higher among expert physicians (\u3baw=0.65, IQR 0.53-0.72, p20 years of experience (C-index=0.72, IQR 0.0-0.73, p=0.229) and non-university hospital physicians with more than 20 years of experience, attending weekly MDT meetings (C-index=0.72, IQR 0.70-0.72, p=0.052), did not differ significantly (p=0.229 and p=0.052 respectively) from the expert panel (C-index=0.74 IQR 0.72-0.75). Experienced respiratory physicians at university-based institutions diagnose IPF with similar prognostic accuracy to IPF experts. Regular MDT meeting attendance improves the prognostic accuracy of experienced non-university practitioners to levels achieved by IPF experts

The Ethnobotanical Study of an Edible Freshwater Red Alga, Lemanea fluviatilis (L.) C.Ag. from Manipur, India

An ethnobotanical study of an edible fresh water red alga Lemanea fluviatilis (L.) C.Ag. was carried out in the Thoubaldistrict of Manipur State, India. The alga locally known as nungsham, due to its hair like growth on stone, grows profusely in the rocky and shallow river beds of the Chakpi and Manipur rivers. In earlier reports, the alga was misidentified as Lemanea australis. Harvested by the women of the Meitei, Kuki and Kuki-Chin-Mizo communites, the sun dried alga is sold in the local market. The dried filaments are eaten with major meals. A total of 23 strategically selected informants have been interviewed through structured questionnaires to obtain indigenous knowledge about the alga and its uses. Detailed morphological and reproductive features are described to reveal the correct taxonomic status of the species. Some ethnopharmacological information is also incorporated

Effect of Graded Levels of Major Nutrients and Biofertilizers on Yield, Nutrient Content and Uptake of Safflower Growing in Vertisol

Effect of graded levels of major nutrients and biofertilizers on yield, nutrient content and&nbsp; nutrient uptake of safflower growing&nbsp; in vertisols was investigated in field experiment carried out on clayey soil at College of Agriculture, Nagpur during rabi season using variety AKS/S-41 in 2011-12. The experiment was conducted in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three (3) replications and nine (9) treatments. N and P fertilizers each at 40 kg ha-1 were applied. The sources of N and P were urea and single super phosphate. The results of the study showed that yield,&nbsp; nutrient content and uptake N, P, K, parameters of safflower were significantly found highest in the treatment of RDF alone or in combination with Azospirillum + PSB. The seed and straw yield of safflower was also significantly highest in the same treatments.&nbsp; It is concluded that combination of biofertilizer and major fertilizers significantly improved the yield, nutrient content and uptake of safflower

Changes in protein composition and protein phosphorylation during somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

Changes in protein profiles and protein phosphorylation were studied in various stages of germinating somatic and zygotic embryos. Many proteins, which were expressed in cotyledonary stage somatic embryos, were also present in the zygotic embryos obtained from mature dry seed. The intensity of 22 kDa protein was much higher in zygotic embryos in comparison to cotyledonary somatic embryos. Proteins of 55, 53, 27 and 25 kDa did not vary in expression during different stages of germination of somatic and zygotic embryos. There was rapid accumulation of 28 kda protein in germinating zygotic and somatic embryos at 3 rd stage and persisted during the subsequent stages of germination indicating the emergence of radical and plumule. A clear difference was observed in the patterns of protein phosphorylation in germinating somatic and zygotic embryos. A 50 kDa protein was heavily phosphorylated in mature zygotic embryos at 2nd stage of germination and disappeared in 3rd stage of germination. Protiens of 50 and 43 kDa proteins showed enhanced phosphorylation up to 3rd stage and drastic reduction was observed at 4th stage. In addition, phosphorylation of 68 and 65 kDa specifically appeared in 3rd stage of germinating somatic embryos and were not observed during any germinating stages of zygotic embryos