Anterior inferior plating versus superior plating for middle 1/3rd clavicle fracture: a prospective comparative study

Background: Fractures of the clavicle are common injuries that may result from direct blow or transmitted forces. Deformities are shortening and depression of lateral fragments. Various techniques are performed out of which superior and anteroinferior plating are widely used with each having its own merits and drawbacks. Our study compares the outcome between above mentioned techniques.Methods: We conducted a prospective comparative study of 60 patients who has met inclusion criteria and out of which 30 patients were treated with anteroinferior technique and 30 patients were treated with superior plating technique. Outcome measure were assessed through constant and murley score.Results: The demographic analysis of our study showed that the incidence of fracture is predominant among males (63.3%) with RTA being the most common mode of injury. AO/OTA classification which was used in our study revealed A1 as the most frequently involved group. Each group had 2 patients with infection post operatively which was managed with appropriate antibiotics. Increased incidence of delayed union was found in anterioinferior group (13.3%) with decreased hardware prominence in comparison with superior plating.Conclusions: There were no significant differences in functional outcome between both the groups except the fact that superior plating had higher chances of plate prominence. So either of the surgical technique can be employed depending upon the feasibility of surgeon

A cross sectional study to assess the prevalence of microalbuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background: Microalbuminuria is an earliest marker of overt diabetic nephropathy, hence monitoring microalbuminuria in patients with diabetes mellites helps to predict and prevent overt diabetic nephropathy. This cross-sectional study was done to find out the prevalence of microalbuminuria in 200 patients with diabetes mellitus attending medicine OPD of Basaweshwara medical college hospital (BMCH), Chitradurga.Methods: 200 patients with Diabetes mellitus visiting the medicine OPD of BMCH, Chitradurga were considered for the study. Patients history and physical examination findings like duration of diabetes, hypertension, smoking and BMI were considered. Relevant blood investigations like fasting blood sugar, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), serum cholesterol and creatinine were done. Microalbuminuria was assessed using dipstick kits in an early morning urine samples.Results: The prevalence of normoalbuminuria was 71% and microalbuminuria was 29%. The prevalence of microalbuminuria increased with the increase in duration of diabetes.Conclusions: Prevalence of microalbuminuria among the patients with diabetes depends upon risk factors like blood pressure control, duration of diabetes, fasting blood sugar and HbA1c. Early identification of high risk patients and the subsequent initiation of renal and cardiovascular protective agents helps to reduce the burden of diabetic kidney disease.

ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF STEM BARK ESSENTIAL OIL CONSTITUENTS OF LITSEA GLUTINOSA C. B. ROB.

Objective: To evaluate the chemical composition, antibacterial and antioxidant properties of stem bark essential oil of Litsea glutinosa C. B. Rob.Methods: The essential oil isolated from stem bark of L. glutinosa and their chemical composition was analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry detector. The in vitro antibacterial activity of the stem bark essential oil was investigated against eight human pathogenic bacterial clinical isolates using agar disc diffusion method and MIC value was determined by modified resazurin microtitre-plate assay. The antioxidant activity of essential oil was measured by 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH), 2, 2-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonate radical cation (ABTS) and β-carotene bleaching assay.Results: GC-MS analysis of stem bark essential oil resulted in the identification of 37 compounds, off which 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (62.57%), hexadecanoic acid (12.68%), stigmast-5-en-3-ol (6.87%) and vitamin E (2.51%) were the main constituents representing 84.63% of the oil. The determination of in vitro antibacterial activity of stem bark essential oil resulted in significant inhibition zone (15.00±0.57 mm) and MIC value (0.15±0.15×10-2 mg/ml) against the pathogenic bacteria Vibrio cholera followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella typhi. The results of DPPH radical scavenging (IC50:4.540±0.06 µg/ml), ABTS (IC50:256.02±0.06 µg/ml) and β-carotene bleaching assay (%I: 78.51±0.42 %) showed significant in vitro antioxidant property.Conclusion: L. glutinosa stem bark essential oil showed potential antibacterial activity against the Vibrio cholera. The results of this investigation supported the ethnomedical claim of essential oil as a demulcent, antidiarrheal and antioxidant drug

Chandra High Resolution X-ray Spectroscopy of AM Her

We present the results of high resolution spectroscopy of the prototype polar AM Herculis observed with Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating. The X-ray spectrum contains hydrogen-like and helium-like lines of Fe, S, Si, Mg, Ne and O with several Fe L-shell emission lines. The forbidden lines in the spectrum are generally weak whereas the hydrogen-like lines are stronger suggesting that emission from a multi-temperature, collisionally ionized plasma dominates. The helium-like line flux ratios yield a plasma temperature of 2 MK and a plasma density 1 - 9 x10^12 cm^-3, whereas the line flux ratio of Fe XXVI to Fe XXV gives an ionization temperature of 12.4 +1.1 -1.4 keV. We present the differential emission measure distribution of AM Her whose shape is consistent with the volume emission measure obtained by multi-temperature APEC model. The multi-temperature plasma model fit to the average X-ray spectrum indicates the mass of the white dwarf to be ~1.15 M_sun. From phase resolved spectroscopy, we find the line centers of Mg XII, S XVI, resonance line of Fe XXV, and Fe XXVI emission modulated by a few hundred to 1000 km/s from the theoretically expected values indicating bulk motion of ionized matter in the accretion column of AM Her. The observed velocities of Fe XXVI ions are close to the expected shock velocity for a 0.6 M_sun white dwarf. The observed velocity modulation is consistent with that expected from a single pole accreting binary system.Comment: 6 figures, AASTEX style, accepted for publication in Ap

FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF SOLID SELF MICRO EMULSIFYING DISPERSIBLE TABLET OF PIROXICAM

Objective: The aim of this study was to formulate the solid self-micro emulsifying dispersible tablets for promoting the dissolution of Piroxicam. Methods: Solubility study test was performed to know the solubility of various oil phase, surfactants, cosurfactants. Self-emulsifying grading test was done by visual grading system. Ternary phase diagrams and droplet size analysis test were performed to screen and optimize the Piroxicam-self microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDS). Then microcrystalline cellulose (KG802) was added as a suitable adsorbent and dispersible tablet were prepared by wet granulation compression method. Results: The final composition of Piroxicam-SMEDS was oil phase (oleic acid, 23%), surfactant (Cremophor R H-40,61%), co-surfactant (PEG-400,16%) based on the result of solubility test, self-emulsifying grading test, droplet size analysis and ternary phase diagrams. Microcrystalline cellulose (KG802) was selected based on dissolution study (98.35%) and added to liquid Piroxicam-Smeds formulation to form dispersible tablets. The in vitro dissolution study showed 98.02 % of drug release from Piroxicam-SMEDS tablets. Conclusion: Piroxicam–Self microemulsifying dispersible tablets have increased the solubility and bioavailability of the Piroxicam to a greater extent. SMEDS formulation can help the solubility of poorly water-soluble drugs

Impact of heat stress on expression pattern of nine rice heat shock factor genes and its traits related to tolerance

65-75Global warming is unusually increasing the earth temperature over the past century at an average rate of 0.07 per decade since 1880. The increased temperature exhibit greater impact on grain yield, approximately 5.18 million tons of rice yields due to heat wave. Heat shock factors (HSF) has major role in regulating heat shock proteins which in turn responsible for survival of plants in heat stress by refolding proteins, maintaining functional confirmation, aiding in host defence mechanism. The aim of this research was to analyse phenological, biochemical changes and key genes highly expressed during heat stress at flowering stage in rice. Expression analysis of nine HSF genes had given a differential expression under heat stress as compared to controlled traits. This study suggested OsHSP26.7 as most responsive gene under heat stress and rice line 159, RRF-127, GP-145-103 and Annada with heat tolerant adaptive mechanisms and better performance under high temperatures and was found to be in correlation with the estimated biochemical traits. This can be taken as a base for heat tolerance response of the crop, which may be useful for further validation studies of the candidate genes for heat tolerance in the rice as well as other crop plants

The Role of Nonequilibrium Dynamical Screening in Carrier Thermalization

We investigate the role played by nonequilibrium dynamical screening in the thermalization of carriers in a simplified two-component two-band model of a semiconductor. The main feature of our approach is the theoretically sound treatment of collisions. We abandon Fermi's Golden rule in favor of a nonequilibrium field theoretic formalism as the former is applicable only in the long-time regime. We also introduce the concept of nonequilibrium dynamical screening. The dephasing of excitonic quantum beats as a result of carrier-carrier scattering is brought out. At low densities it is found that the dephasing times due to carrier-carrier scattering is in picoseconds and not femtoseconds, in agreement with experiments. The polarization dephasing rates are computed as a function of the excited carrier density and it is found that the dephasing rate for carrier-carrier scattering is proportional to the carrier density at ultralow densities. The scaling relation is sublinear at higher densities, which enables a comparison with experiment.Comment: Revised version with additional refs. 12 pages, figs. available upon request; Submitted to Phys. Rev.

Identification of blast resistance in a core collection of foxtail millet germplasm

Blast, also known as leaf spot, caused by Pyricularia grisea [teleomorph: Magnaporthe grisea], is a serious disease affecting both forage and grain production in foxtail millet in India. For the identification of new and diverse sources of blast resistance, a foxtail millet core collection comprising 155 accessions was evaluated against Patancheru isolate (Fx 57) of M. grisea. In a field screen during 2009 and 2010, 21 accessions were identified with neck and head blast resistance against Fx 57. In a greenhouse screen, 11 of the 155 accessions exhibited seedling leaf blast resistance to the same isolate. Further evaluation of the selected 28 accessions (found resistant to neck and head blast under field conditions during 2009 and 2010, and/or leaf blast in the greenhouse screen) against four M. grisea isolates Fx 57, Fx 58, Fx 60 and Fx 62 from Patancheru, Nandyal, Vizianagaram and Mandya, respectively, led to the identification of 16 accessions with leaf, sheath, neck and head blast resistance to at least one isolate. Two accessions (ISe 1181 and ISe 1547) were free from head blast infection and showed resistance to leaf (score ≤3.0 on a 1-to-9 scale), neck and sheath blast (score ≤2.0 on a 1-to-5 scale) against all the four isolates. In addition, ISe 1067 and ISe 1575 also exhibited high levels of blast resistance. Blast-resistant accessions with superior agronomic and nutritional quality traits can be evaluated in multilocation yield trials before releasing them for cultivation to farmers