Addition of some non-indigenous elements to the flora of Marathwada regions, Maharashtra, India.

During our field survey, many taxa were collected from the Marathwada region. Specimens were brought to laboratory and processed for herbarium specimens with standard procedures. Majority of the specimens satisfactory identified by using pertinent literature. After critical investigations, authors found that six taxa are not earlier reported from the region. So present paper deals new records of six species with its correct and updated citation, short description and note on its phenology is depicted for each taxon followed by a note on ecology and images of all for easy identification

Costus pictus D.Don.ex Lindl. new records to flora of Maharashtra, India.

During the field survey in Paithan Tehshil of Aurangabad District some Specimens were collected and identified Costus pictus D.Don ex Lindl which was not recorded for Flora of Maharashtra so far. This paper records them with updated nomenclature, descriptions and note on phenology and Images for its easy identity

CLINICIAN-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP AND ADHERENCE TO TREATMENT

PATIENT'S ADHERENCE TO TREATMENT IS STRONGLY RELATED TO CLINICIAN'S ABILITY.ROLE OF EMPATHY, OF COMMUNICATION'S SKILLS ARE NOT INVESTIGATED ENOUGH, EVEN IF ACCORDING TO PATIENT'S OPINION THESE ABILITY ARE MORE IMPORTANT OF TECHNICAL SKILLS

Challenges and opportunities of light-emitting diode (Led) as key to modulate antioxidant compounds in plants. a review

Plant antioxidants are important compounds involved in plant defense, signaling, growth, and development. The quantity and quality of such compounds is genetically driven; nonetheless, light is one of the factors that strongly influence their synthesis and accumulation in plant tissues. Indeed, light quality affects the fitness of the plant, modulating its antioxidative profile, a key element to counteract the biotic and abiotic stresses. With this regard, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are emerging as a powerful technology which allows the selection of specific wavelengths and intensities, and therefore the targeted accumulation of plant antioxidant compounds. Despite the unique advantages of such technology, LED application in the horticultural field is still at its early days and several aspects still need to be investigated. This review focused on the most recent outcomes of LED application to modulate the antioxidant compounds of plants, with particular regard to vitamin C, phenols, chlorophyll, carotenoids, and glucosinolates. Additionally, future challenges and opportunities in the use of LED technology in the growth and postharvest storage of fruits and vegetables were also addressed to give a comprehensive overview of the future applications and trends of research

Should reduction of increased short-term blood pressure variability be a target of antihypertensive therapy?

It has long been known that blood pressure (BP) is characterized by marked short-term fluctuations occurring within a 24-h period and also by long-term oscillations occurring over more prolonged periods of time. An increased short-term blood pressure variability (BPV) appears to importantly contribute to target organ damage and to the enhanced cardiovascular risk of hypertensive patients, over and above the effect of an increase in mean BP levels. Reducing 24-h mean BP is the main aim of antihypertensive therapy, but initial data are available that additional cardiovascular protection can be achieved by reducing BPV. However, to definitively prove the prognostic role of short-term BPV and the need for its control by treatment, evidence is still needed from intervention trials aimed at demonstrating that by reducing BPV through administration of antihypertensive drugs, a reduction in organ damage and in the rate of cardiovascular events can be obtained

Role of cholinergic neurons in the motor effects of glucagon-like peptide-2 in mouse colon.

Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) reduces mouse gastric tone and small intestine transit, but its action on large intestine motility is still unknown. The purposes of the present study were 1) to examine the influence of GLP-2 on spontaneous mechanical activity and on neurally evoked responses, by recording intraluminal pressure from mouse isolated colonic segments; 2) to characterize GLP-2 mechanism of action; and 3) to determine the distribution of GLP-2 receptor (GLP-2R) in the mouse colonic muscle coat by immunohistochemistry. Exogenous GLP-2 (0.1\u2013 300 nM) induced a concentration-dependent reduction of the spontaneous mechanical activity, which was abolished by the desensitization of GLP-2 receptor or by tetrodotoxin, a voltage-dependent Na+-channel blocker. GLP-2 inhibitory effect was not affected by Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor), apamin (a blocker of small conductance Ca2+-dependent K+ channels), or [Lys1,Pro2,5,Arg3,4,Tyr6]VIP7\u201328 (a VIP receptor antagonist), but it was prevented by atropine or pertussis toxin (PTX), a Gi/o protein inhibitor. Proximal colon responses to electrical field stimulation were characterized by nitrergic relaxation, which was followed by cholinergic contraction. GLP-2 reduced only the cholinergic evoked contractions. This effect was almost abolished by GLP-2 receptor desensitization or PTX. GLP-2 failed to affect the contractile responses to exogenous carbachol. GLP-2R immunoreactivity (IR) was detected only in the neuronal cells of both plexuses of the colonic muscle coat. More than 50% of myenteric GLP-2R-IR neurons shared the choline acetyltransferase IR. In conclusion, the activation of GLP-2R located on cholinergic neurons may modulate negatively the colonic spontaneous and electrically evoked contractions through inhibition of acetylcholine release. The effect is mediated by Gi protein

GLP-2 receptor expression in excitatory and inhibitory enteric neurons and its role in mouse duodenum contractility.

Background. Glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP-2), a nutrient-responsive hormone, exerts various actions in the gastrointestinal tract that are mediated by a G-protein coupled receptor called GLP-2R. A little information is available on GLP-2R expression in enteric neurons and nothing on the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC). Methods. We investigated presence and distribution of the GLP-2R in the mouse duodenum by immunohistochemistry and the potential motor effects of GLP-2 on the spontaneous and neurally evoked mechanical activity. Key Results. The GLP-2R was expressed by the myenteric and submucosal neurons. Labelling was also present in nerve varicosities within the circular muscular layer and at the deep muscular plexus (DMP). No immunoreactive nerve fiber was seen within the longitudinal muscle layer. The GLP-2R-positive neurons were either excitatory (SP- and choline-acetyltransferase-positive) or inhibitory (vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and nNOS-positive). The ICC, both at the myenteric plexus and at theDMP,never expressed GLP-2R but, especially those at the DMP, were surrounded by GLP-2R-positive nerve varicosities co-expressing either excitatory or inhibitory neurotransmitters. Quantitative analysis demonstrated a consistent prevalence of GLP-2R on the excitatory pathways. In agreement, the functional results showed that the administration of GLP-2 in vitro caused decrease of the spontaneous contractions mediated by nitric oxide release and reduction of the evoked cholinergic contractions. Conclusions & Inferences. The present findings indicate that the GLP-2R is expressed by inhibitory and excitatory neurons, the GLP-2 inhibits the muscle contractility likely decreasing cholinergic neurotransmission and increasing nitric oxide production, and this effect is possibly mediated by the ICC-DMP recruitment

EFFECT OF PITHECELLOBIUM DULCE BENTH LEAVES IN DEXAMETHASONE INDUCED DIABETIC RATS

Objective: The objective of the present study was to study the effect of Pithecellobium dulce Benth (P. dulce) leaves in dexamethasone-induced diabetic rats.Methods: The authenticated P. dulce leaves were collected from a local area of Sangli, Maharashtra. The leaves of the plant were extracted with water and ethanol by maceration and soxhelation respectively. Acute toxicity studies of the both extracts were performed using rat and according to OECD 425 guidelines. The dose of 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg was selected for further studies. The albino rats were divided into seven groups with five animals in each group. The diabetes was induced by dexamethasone (10 mg/kg, s. c.) and treated with extract and standard drug for 10 d. Then blood glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol and glycogen level in liver, muscle and kidney were estimated according to standard procedures.Results: The study revealed that P. dulce at 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg showed significant (p Ë‚ 0.05) antidiabetic activity. All the extract treated groups showed a significant reduction in blood glucose level on 11th day when compared to diabetic control group. The significant increase in blood glucose, triglyceride, and total cholesterol level was observed in the diabetic control group when compared to normal control group. The liver and muscle glycogen level was decreased significantly (p Ë‚ 0.05) in the diabetic control group.Conclusion: It can be concluded that P. dulceaqueous and ethanolic extract at two different doses (200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg) possesses antidiabetic and hypolipidemic activity.Â

Observational study of scalpel versus electrocautery for subcutaneous incision in elective gynaecological surgeries

Background: Considering higher rate of postoperative wound complications in Government set up hospitals, this study was an attempt to compare incision time, incisional blood loss, hospital stay, post-operative pain and postoperative wound complications when subcutaneous tissue is opened with either scalpel or electrocautery in elective gynaecological surgeries after keeping all other clinical and surgical variables same i.e. age, BMI, haemoglobin, incision depth and hospital stay.Methods: This was a prospective observational comparative study conducted in one of the tertiary teaching hospital in Western Maharashtra, India over 12 months. All patients (n=100) were divided into 2 groups. Group A in which skin and subcutaneous tissue was dissected by using scalpel and Group B in which after skin, anterior abdominal wall was opened by using electrocautery. Data analyzed for indication, incisional blood loss, incision time, postoperative pain, wound complications and hospital stay.Results: There were no significant association between preoperative diagnosis and the development of a post-operative wound complications. Mean incision blood loss was found to be significantly higher in group A compared to group B patients. Postoperative pain was significantly higher in group A (P value <0.05). Among wound complications, no statistically significant differences were seen regarding wound complications for the two groups.Conclusions: Electrosurgical dissection for abdominal incision is safe, less time consuming and with less blood loss during subcutaneous incision and produces less postoperative pain. We conclude that the method of subcutaneous tissue incision was unrelated to the development of postoperative abdominal incision problems

Preliminary Evidence of the Efficacy of Time-Resolved Broad-Spectrum Optical Mammography in Monitoring Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

We present initial results of a clinical trial involving breast cancer patients under neoadjuvant chemotherapy, monitored through our time-resolved optical mammograph. Besides hemoglobin, water and lipids, we assess collagen concentration systematically for the first time