Indigenous plant Cannabis sativa: a comprehensive ethnobotanical and pharmacological review

Cannabis sativa (L.) is a plant indigenous to Central Asia and South-East Asia. It is widely used in ethnomedicines as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, analgesic, anticonvulsive, antidepressant, anticancer, antitumor, neuroprotective, anti-mutagenic, anti-allergic, and antibiotic. Numerous in vitro and in vivo investigations have already established these attributes of Cannabis. Numerous toxicological studies have demonstrated the dose-dependent toxicity of C. sativa against various pests. The exact identity of the phytoconstituents of C. sativa responsible for the observed biological effects and their mode of action at the molecular level is yet to be ascertained. This review provides a comprehensive update to the ethnomedicinal, phytochemistry, pharmacological activity, and toxicological profile of Cannabis sativa. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.811801

Baryons and baryonic matter in the large Nc and heavy quark limits

This paper explores properties of baryons and finite density baryonic matter in an artificial world in which Nc, the number of colors, is large and the quarks of all species are degenerate and much larger than {\Lambda}_QCD. It has long been known that in large Nc QCD, baryons composed entirely of heavy quarks are accurately described in the mean-field approximation. However, the detailed properties of baryons in the combined large Nc and heavy quark limits have not been fully explored. Here some basic properties of baryons are computed using a variational approach. At leading order in both the large Nc and heavy quark expansions the baryon mass is computed explicitly as is the baryon form factor. Baryonic matter, the analog of nuclear matter in this artificial world, should also be well described in the mean-field approximation. In the special case where all baryons have an identical spin flavor structure, it is shown that in the formal heavy quark and large Nc limit interactions between baryons are strictly repulsive at low densities. The energy per baryon is computed in this limit and found to be exponentially small. It is shown that when the restriction to baryons with an identical spin-flavor structure is dropped, a phase of baryonic matter exists with a density of 2Nf times that for the restricted case but with the same energy (where Nf is the number of degenerate flavors). It is shown that this phase is at least metastable.Comment: 19 page

Optimal management of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), also known by the eponym Osler–Weber–Rendu syndrome, is a group of related disorders inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion and characterized by the development of arteriovenous malformations (AVM) in the skin, mucous membranes, and/or internal organs such as brain, lungs, and liver. Its prevalence is currently estimated at one in 5,000 to 8,000. Most cases are due to mutations in the endoglin (HHT1) or ACVRLK1 (HHT2) genes. Telangiectasias in nasal and gastrointestinal mucosa generally present with recurrent/chronic bleeding and iron deficiency anemia. Larger AVMs occur in lungs (~40%–60% of affected individuals), liver (~40%–70%), brain (~10%), and spine (~1%). Due to the devastating and potentially fatal complications of some of these lesions (for example, strokes and brain abscesses with pulmonary AVMs), presymptomatic screening and treatment are of utmost importance. However, due to the rarity of this condition, many providers lack an appreciation for the whole gamut of its manifestations and complications, age-dependent penetrance, and marked intrafamilial variation. As a result, HHT remains frequently underdiagnosed and many families do not receive the appropriate screening and treatments. This article provides an overview of the clinical features of HHT, discusses the clinical and genetic diagnostic strategies, and presents an up-to-date review of literature and detailed considerations regarding screening for visceral AVMs, preventive modalities, and treatment options

A novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2): current status and challenges

In December, 2019 a new public health crisis threatened the world with the emergence of new zoonotic virus, the 2019 novel coronavirus. SARS-Cov-2 or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 belongs to the family of coronaviruses named for the crown-like spikes on its surfaces. SARS-CoV-2 causes COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease-2019), a contagious viral infection that attacks primarily throat and lungs causing pneumonia-like symptoms. It is speculated that SARS-CoV-2 seem to have come from a bat, but the intermediate reservoir is still unknown. This review will address SARS-CoV-2 structure, clinical features, SARS-CoV-2 genome and its different variant, diagnosis, and treatment and also gives a bird's eye view on the epidemiology and pathology based on current evidence. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.656139

Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy and the recurrence of breast cancer in a tertiary care rural hospital of West Bengal, India

Background: Prior studies have shown long-term outcome of Neo-Adjuvant Chemotherapy (NACT) for locally advanced breast carcinoma. The purpose of the current study was to analyse the number and pattern of breast cancer recurrence at a rural hospital of West Bengal, India. The study also tried to evaluate the type of therapy received by the recurrent patients during their primary presentation and compare the disease free survival rate of the patients receiving NACT and Adjuvant Chemotherapy (ACT).Methods: A single institution (B.S. Medical College, Bankura) retrospective chart review in the year of 2011-2014 was performed. The Kaplan-Meier methods were used to calculate disease-free survival (DFS) from the date of initiation of NACT to the date of recurrence.Results: Of 776 patients in four years (2011-2014) total numbers of breast cancer recurrent patients were 30. The Kaplan Meier survival analysis showed disease free survival of 5 years (95% confidence interval) in case of early stage breast cancer (EBC) and 2.5 years (95% CI) in locally advanced breast CA (LABC). It was 29 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 26.74-33.253) for recurrence free survival in case of patients treated with NACT and 60 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 58.13-61.86) for recurrence free survival in case of patients not treated by NACT i.e. ACT cases.Conclusions: This study indicates multimodality Neo-Adjuvant chemotherapy helps to achieve complete pathological response in locally advance breast cancer. Despite the recurrence free survival in NACT patients is significantly low than the patients who received adjuvant chemothepapy

Electron Beam Irradiation of Nylon 66: Characterization by IR Spectroscopy and Viscosity Studies

ABSTRACT: Effects of e-beam irradiation at different doses upto 600 kGy on injection moulded nylon 66 specimens have been investigated by solution viscosity measurement and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The results of gel content and viscosity indicate that e-beam irradiation generates crosslinked structure among the polymer chains. The uncrosslinked sol portion of the irradiated nylon 66 was also affected and resulted in a decrease in chain length as reflected in the results obtained from viscosity measurement. From FTIR spectra analysis, it was found that crystallinity of nylon 66 was considerably affected upon e-beam irradiation. The decrease of N-H stretch absorbance value of irradiated nylon 66 in comparison to the pristine nylon 66, indicates the loss of hydrogen bonding due to irradiation which resulted in decrease in crystallinity

Variation in Hospital-use and Outcomes Associated with Pulmonary Artery Catheterization in Heart Failure in the United States

Background There has been an increase in the use of pulmonary artery (PA) catheters in heart failure (HF) in the United States in recent years. However, patterns of hospital-use and trends in patient outcomes are not known. Methods and Results In the National Inpatient Sample 2001–2012, using ICD-9 codes we identified 11,888,525 adult (≥18 years) HF hospitalizations nationally, of which an estimated 75,209 (SE 0.6%) received a PA catheter. In 2001, the number of hospitals with ≥1 PA catheterization was 1753, decreasing to 1183 in 2011. The mean PA catheter use per hospital trended from 4.9/year in 2001 (limits 1–133) to 3.8/year in 2007 (limits 1–46), but increased to 5.5/year in 2011 (limits 1–70). During 2001–2006, PA catheterization declined across hospitals; however, in 2007–2012 there has been a disproportionate increase at hospitals with large bedsize, teaching programs, and advanced HF capabilities. The overall in-hospital mortality with PA catheter use was higher than without PA catheter use (13.1% vs. 3.4%, P<0.0001), however, in propensity-matched analysis, differences in mortality between these groups have attenuated over time – risk-adjusted odds ratio for mortality for PA-catheterization, 1.66 (95% CI 1.60–1.74) in 2001–2003 down to 1.04 (95% CI 0.97– 1.12) in 2010–2012. Conclusions There is substantial hospital-level variability in PA catheterization in HF along with increasing volume at fewer hospitals overrepresented by large, academic hospitals with advanced HF capabilities. This is accompanied by a decline in excess mortality associated with PA catheterization