Phyto-pharmacognostic evaluation and HPLC study on Sariva (Hemidsmus indicus R.Br) Root

Plants are among the richest sources of bioactive compounds throughout the world for thousands of years and continue to provide new remedies to mankind. Roots of Hemidesmus indicus R. Br. is an important plant drug which is used to cure leprosy, leucoderma, itching, skin disease, asthma, bronchitis, leucorrhoea, dysentery, piles, syphilis, paralysis, urinary disorders and diabetes mellitus. As per Acharya Charaka has mentioned suitable season for collection of Moola i.e. Greeshma and Shishira Rutu. Here an attempt to study to check the potency of root collected as per classical reference. The present study focused on the pharmacognostical, phytochemical investigation as well as HPLC study were performed by taking different solvent extracts of Hemidesmus indicus root. This study highlights the detailed HPLC study on Hemidesmus indicus root by taking different solvent extracts with their increasing polarity which is a referential information for identification parameters and improves our confidence level of acceptability of herbal drugs

Shami (Prosopis cineraria (L) Druce) - A Medicinal Benison

Shami (Prosopis cineraria (L) Druce) belongs to family Fabaceae known for its spiritual uses in India mentioned in almost all the Nighantu’s of Ayurveda. It is endemic to Hot, Dry and Arid regions of India. Even though almost all the parts of Shami are having pharmacological actions specially the Bark and Fruit but these remain unexplored. It mainly contains tannins (gallic acid), alkaloids (spicigerine, prosophylline), Flavone derivatives (prosogerin A, B, C, D and E) and quercetin are widely used as anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, anti-convulsant, nootropic and antidepressant activity. Thus, the current article reviews on Ayurveda literature, botanical description, varieties and powder microscopy of Shami

Antiinflammatory Therapy with Canakinumab for Atherosclerotic Disease

Background: Experimental and clinical data suggest that reducing inflammation without affecting lipid levels may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Yet, the inflammatory hypothesis of atherothrombosis has remained unproved. Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind trial of canakinumab, a therapeutic monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-1β, involving 10,061 patients with previous myocardial infarction and a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level of 2 mg or more per liter. The trial compared three doses of canakinumab (50 mg, 150 mg, and 300 mg, administered subcutaneously every 3 months) with placebo. The primary efficacy end point was nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or cardiovascular death. RESULTS: At 48 months, the median reduction from baseline in the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level was 26 percentage points greater in the group that received the 50-mg dose of canakinumab, 37 percentage points greater in the 150-mg group, and 41 percentage points greater in the 300-mg group than in the placebo group. Canakinumab did not reduce lipid levels from baseline. At a median follow-up of 3.7 years, the incidence rate for the primary end point was 4.50 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group, 4.11 events per 100 person-years in the 50-mg group, 3.86 events per 100 person-years in the 150-mg group, and 3.90 events per 100 person-years in the 300-mg group. The hazard ratios as compared with placebo were as follows: in the 50-mg group, 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80 to 1.07; P = 0.30); in the 150-mg group, 0.85 (95% CI, 0.74 to 0.98; P = 0.021); and in the 300-mg group, 0.86 (95% CI, 0.75 to 0.99; P = 0.031). The 150-mg dose, but not the other doses, met the prespecified multiplicity-adjusted threshold for statistical significance for the primary end point and the secondary end point that additionally included hospitalization for unstable angina that led to urgent revascularization (hazard ratio vs. placebo, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.73 to 0.95; P = 0.005). Canakinumab was associated with a higher incidence of fatal infection than was placebo. There was no significant difference in all-cause mortality (hazard ratio for all canakinumab doses vs. placebo, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.06; P = 0.31). Conclusions: Antiinflammatory therapy targeting the interleukin-1β innate immunity pathway with canakinumab at a dose of 150 mg every 3 months led to a significantly lower rate of recurrent cardiovascular events than placebo, independent of lipid-level lowering. (Funded by Novartis; CANTOS ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01327846.

Twelve-month observational study of children with cancer in 41 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction Childhood cancer is a leading cause of death. It is unclear whether the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted childhood cancer mortality. In this study, we aimed to establish all-cause mortality rates for childhood cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic and determine the factors associated with mortality. Methods Prospective cohort study in 109 institutions in 41 countries. Inclusion criteria: children <18 years who were newly diagnosed with or undergoing active treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, retinoblastoma, Wilms tumour, glioma, osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, medulloblastoma and neuroblastoma. Of 2327 cases, 2118 patients were included in the study. The primary outcome measure was all-cause mortality at 30 days, 90 days and 12 months. Results All-cause mortality was 3.4% (n=71/2084) at 30-day follow-up, 5.7% (n=113/1969) at 90-day follow-up and 13.0% (n=206/1581) at 12-month follow-up. The median time from diagnosis to multidisciplinary team (MDT) plan was longest in low-income countries (7 days, IQR 3-11). Multivariable analysis revealed several factors associated with 12-month mortality, including low-income (OR 6.99 (95% CI 2.49 to 19.68); p<0.001), lower middle income (OR 3.32 (95% CI 1.96 to 5.61); p<0.001) and upper middle income (OR 3.49 (95% CI 2.02 to 6.03); p<0.001) country status and chemotherapy (OR 0.55 (95% CI 0.36 to 0.86); p=0.008) and immunotherapy (OR 0.27 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.91); p=0.035) within 30 days from MDT plan. Multivariable analysis revealed laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR 5.33 (95% CI 1.19 to 23.84); p=0.029) was associated with 30-day mortality. Conclusions Children with cancer are more likely to die within 30 days if infected with SARS-CoV-2. However, timely treatment reduced odds of death. This report provides crucial information to balance the benefits of providing anticancer therapy against the risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children with cancer

Multi-messenger observations of a binary neutron star merger

On 2017 August 17 a binary neutron star coalescence candidate (later designated GW170817) with merger time 12:41:04 UTC was observed through gravitational waves by the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. The Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor independently detected a gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) with a time delay of ~1.7 s with respect to the merger time. From the gravitational-wave signal, the source was initially localized to a sky region of 31 deg2 at a luminosity distance of 40+8-8 Mpc and with component masses consistent with neutron stars. The component masses were later measured to be in the range 0.86 to 2.26 Mo. An extensive observing campaign was launched across the electromagnetic spectrum leading to the discovery of a bright optical transient (SSS17a, now with the IAU identification of AT 2017gfo) in NGC 4993 (at ~40 Mpc) less than 11 hours after the merger by the One- Meter, Two Hemisphere (1M2H) team using the 1 m Swope Telescope. The optical transient was independently detected by multiple teams within an hour. Subsequent observations targeted the object and its environment. Early ultraviolet observations revealed a blue transient that faded within 48 hours. Optical and infrared observations showed a redward evolution over ~10 days. Following early non-detections, X-ray and radio emission were discovered at the transient’s position ~9 and ~16 days, respectively, after the merger. Both the X-ray and radio emission likely arise from a physical process that is distinct from the one that generates the UV/optical/near-infrared emission. No ultra-high-energy gamma-rays and no neutrino candidates consistent with the source were found in follow-up searches. These observations support the hypothesis that GW170817 was produced by the merger of two neutron stars in NGC4993 followed by a short gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) and a kilonova/macronova powered by the radioactive decay of r-process nuclei synthesized in the ejecta

Studies on the Photovoltaic and Metal ion binding Properties of a few Heterocyclic donor-π-acceptor systems

Organic molecules with π-conjugated scaffolds end-capped with electron donor and acceptor groups are widely investigated due to their immense application potentials and hence belong to a promising area of organic chemistry. Donor-acceptor materials have found wide variety of applications such as dyes in dye-sensitised solar cells (DSSCs), organic photovoltaics, organic light emitting diodes, nonlinear optical devices, chemosensors, diagnostic probes and as therapeutic agents. Despite their use in such a wide range of applications, many fundamental properties of donor acceptor materials are still poorly understood. Even simple structural modifications can bring unexpected electronic and photophysical properties and wider understanding of the interaction between donor and acceptor is thus required. Furthermore, many such systems show diversity in properties in solution state or in their condensed state such as crystalline or amorphous forms. For example, some of these molecules show aggregation induced quenching or enhancement in emission in the solid state. Thus, structural motifs that facilitate intermolecular interaction via hydrophobic association, hydrogen bonding or electrostatic effects can lead to excellent control over their supramolecular functions. Some of the important structural types which used as donors are triarylamines, carbazoles, phenothiazine, fluorenes, thiophenes, and oligothiophenes. Strongly electron withdrawing groups or electron deficient heterocyclic systems such as oxadiazoles, diarylborons, quinolines, quinoxalines, thienopyrazines, and benzothiadiazoles, cyanoacetic acid, rhodanine-3-acetic acid, barbituric acid, and thiobarbituric acid etc., have been used as the acceptors in the design of donor-acceptor systems