A comparative study of the Milch method and the Spaso method in the reduction of anterior dislocation of the shoulder

Background: The Milch and Spaso methods are used for reduction of anterior shoulder dislocation of the shoulder. This study was undertaken to compare the efficacy of these two methods.Methods: Sixty patients with anterior glenohumeral dislocation were included in this study. 30 patients were reduced by each of the 2 methods and the efficacy and the pain experienced by the patient was studied.Results: Both methods were found to be equally efficacious. The pain felt by the patient was lower in the Milch method but this was not statistically significant. Conclusions: Both the Milch and the Spaso methods are equally effective methods for reduction of anterior dislocation of the shoulder

Functional outcome after autologous blood injection for tennis elbow

Background: Tennis elbow is one of most common conditions found in athletes involved in upper limb sports. It has been reported that local injection of autologous blood in tennis elbow offers significant benefit by providing the necessary cellular and humoral mediators to induce a healing cascade. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of autologous blood injection in the treatment of tennis elbow.Methods: 30 consecutive patients involved in upper limb sports and suffering from tennis elbow for more than 3 months duration not responsive to oral medication or other non-invasive treatment were given local injection of 2 ml autologous blood. Patients were assessed using the visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain and Nirschl scores before giving injection and at 1, 4, 8 and 12 weeks also at 6 and 9 months, repeat injection was given at 8 weeks if pain persisted.Results: After Autologous blood injection (ABI) at 4 weeks there is significant (P <0.001) decrease in VAS pain score and Nirschl score. Though VAS pain score and Nirschl stage continued to improve after 8 weeks, but statistically not significant.Conclusions: Autologous blood injection significantly improved clinical function and pain scores in patients with chronic tennis elbow who had previously undergone unsuccessful non-invasive treatment.

EFFECT OF LYCOPENE ON CHRONIC MILD STRESS-INDUCED HYPERLIPIDEMIA IN WISTAR ALBINO RATS

Objective: Chronic mild stress is the most valid model in inducing depression in rodents. In this method, rats were subjected to CMS for 6 weeks of stress. Methods: In this method, rodents were subjected to a series of mild stressors for CMS for six weeks in an unpredictable manner. Results: Biochemical and pathological changes were observed. Lycopene treatment at 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg could revert these biochemical changes. Histopathological studies showed there is a neuronal loss in CMS and CMS+Vehicle groups. Lycopene treatment reverted this condition. Conclusion: Lycopene treatment might revert this biochemical change by inhibiting a rate-limiting enzyme, HMG-CoA reductase. Histopathology of the brain revealed that rats subjected to chronic mild stress showed a decreased neuronal loss in the hippocampus. Lycopene treatment showed a neuroprotective effect against CMS-induced neuronal loss

Outcome of delayed versus immediate casting on spasticity of lower limb muscles in cerebral palsy post-botulinum toxin injection

Background: Botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) is widely used to treat spasticity in children. The optimal strategy for the combined treatment of casting and BTX-A injections is not known. This prospective study is conducted to know the functional outcome of immediate versus delayed casting post-BTX-A injection in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study is to compare delayed versus immediate casting as an adjunct to botulinum toxin therapy for spasticity of lower limb muscles in CP. The objectives of the study are to test the hypothesis that delayed casting is superior to immediate casting post-botulinum toxin injection and to know the feasibility of using the Edinburgh visual gait score (EVGS) as a single qualitative and quantitative outcome measure. Materials and Methods: A prospective study is conducted to compare immediate casting with delayed casting post-botulinum toxin injection to spastic lower limb muscles in patients with CP from July 2018 to February 2019. Inclusion criteria: A diagnosis of CP with associated spastic monoplegia, diplegia, or hemiplegia with aided or unaided ambulation. Exclusion criteria: History of orthopedic surgery in the preceding 12 months; selective dorsal rhizotomy; mixed CP; ataxia; athetosis; non-ambulatory subjects. Results: The botulinum toxin injection + delayed POP casting group fared better in terms of clinical and functional outcome (as shown by improved EVGS scores) in our study. Conclusion: There is a clear benefit in delaying casting after the injection of Botulinum toxin in the recurrence of spasticity

Antiatherogenic activity of silybin in Wistar rats: an experimental study

Background: Dyslipidemia is the major contributor to an increased risk of atherosclerosis. Furthermore, Atherosclerosis presently comprises one of the essential contributors to a global epidemic of cardiovascular disease and turn out to be the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Natural antioxidants have been shown to be effective in reducing lipid profiles and mitigate peroxidative modification of lipoproteins and atherosclerosis. The aim of the study was to explore the antiatherogenic effect of silybin through its antioxidant mechanism in Wister rats fed on hypercholesterolemic diet.Methods: Male Wistar rats of 150-200 g were used for this study. Hypercholesterolemia in rats was induced by administration of high cholesterol diet. The Wister rats were divided into four groups, each with eight rats. After 60 days blood samples were drawn by retro-orbital puncture for biochemical analysis. The animals were sacrificed by cervical dislocation and liver and aorta were dissected out and processed for histopathological study and biochemical analyses.Results: In the histopathological study high cholesterol fed Wister rats showed fatty degeneration of hepatocytes with leucocytic infiltration of sinusoids. The level of TBARS was significantly increased in high cholesterol diet fed rats (p<0.05). Silybin at both doses [300 mg/kg (1593.00±81.08) and 600 mg/kg (1596.00±28.81)] reduced the plasma TBARS significantly (p<0.05). The antioxidant enzyme levels were also reduced significantly in high cholesterol diet fed rats (p<0.05).Conclusions: The study suggests a conclusive evidence of silybin has antiatherogenic action. Its safety profile, availability and low cost are an added advantage to the presently available pharmacological therapy. Hence, silybin can be considered in conjunction with other available dyslipidemic medication in the market

Evaluation of Heliconia for growth, flowering and flower yield

Heliconia is utilized as ornamental plants, usually being grown both as landscaping plants and as cut flowers, owing to colour and the longer durability of its floral bracts. Forty-one genotypes of Heliconia were evaluated for growth, flowering and flower yield. Significant variation was observed among genotypes for vegetative and floral characteristics. The results revealed that the maximum number of leaves per sucker was recorded in H. hirsuta followed by H. ‘Golden Torch Adrian’ and H. ‘GT Sunshine’, while, maximum plant height was recorded in varieties viz., H. caribea (459.33 cm) followed by H. ‘She’ (337.67 cm) and H. rauliniana upright (305.00 cm). However, maximum leaf length was observed in H. caribea (314.33 cm) followed by H. ‘She’ (203.67 cm) and Heliconia metallica (175.00 cm). Maximum sucker production was recorded in H. ‘Tropics’ followed by H. psittacorum ‘Petra’ and H. ‘Guyana’. Among the flowering traits, early flower initiation was recorded in Golden Torch (136.00 days) followed by Lady Di (152.00 days). The rachis length ranged from 72.67 cm (H. ‘Golden Torch’) to 10.00 cm (H. ‘Hirsuta’), however, longest spike was recorded in H. ‘rauliniana upright’ (131.33 cm) followed by H. rostrata ‘Parrots Beak’ (115.67 cm) and H. rostrata Ten Days (97.00 cm), whereas, shortest spike was recorded in H. bihai (9.33 cm)

Genetic diversity of vegetative and bunch traits of African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) germplasm in India

Knowledge on genetic diversity among breeding materials could be an invaluable aid in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) improvement strategies. Germplasm from primary/secondary centres of origin were collected during 1994 under FAO programme and planted in the gene bank at DOPR Research Centre, Palode during 1998 were studied for genetic diversity. Twenty six accessions representing three African countries (Guinea Bissau, Tanzania and Zambia) were studied using 50 individual palms. Thirty numbers of vegetative and bunch component traits recorded during 2008 to 2013 were analysed in this study. An attempt was made using Shannon-Weaver Diversity Index (SWDI) with an objective to understand the level of diversity in these traits. In general, mean of all the accessions exhibited high levels (0.694) of diversity. Mean diversity estimate (0.778) was highest in Tanzanian source closely followed by Zambia (0.727) and least value (0.576) was observed in Guinea Bissau. Low diversity values (<0.32) for bunch weight, shell thickness, single fruit, and nut weight noticed in Guinea Bissau when compared to other sources. Highest level of homozygosity (SWD=0) for spine length was observed in Guinea Bissau population and similar trend of homzygosity noticed in other traits also in GB accessions. These findings combined with other evaluation results suggest that "Tanzanian population" possess adequate genetic variability that is potentially useful for oil palm improvement program in India. More palms should be preserved for populations that have higher diversity and those with rare traits

A study of temperature profiles and trends as revealed by COSMIC RO technique and balloon –borne radiosonde instrument

This research presents atmospheric temperature profiles and trends retrieved using COSMIC RO technique and balloon-borne radiosonde instrument in 2007 and a few cases during 2017. By effectively using ‘wet’ temperature product available at COSMIC Data Analysis and Archive Center (CDAAC) website, an analysis has been made to present temperature profiles and trends at various regions including, Indian, Taiwan and Japan. A one-to-one correspondence is, clearly, seen between temperature profiles retrieved with COSMIC RO and radiosonde instrument. But, few and dominant differences in temperature profiles are found below at an altitude of ~5 km and above around tropopause (~16-17 km). The dominant differences found at below ~5km could be due to the inhomogeneous distribution of humidity present, generally, at the tropical regions, whereas above the tropopause altitudes, differences might be due to the ionospheric residual correction as reported by other researchers. Further, temperature monthly trends at various regions show distinct characteristics including, a sharp temperature inversion up to tropopause altitude. In addition, it is also observed maximum temperatures (peaks) during the northern summer seasons (May, June, July, and August) and minimum temperatures (troughs) during the northern winter seasons (November, December, January, and February) near to the surface of the Earth. Interestingly, although it is generally observed that the tropopause altitude is located at ~ 16-17 km at various regions, a keen observation reveals that distinct seasonal and latitudinal variations can be witnessed. With this case study, it may be concluded that the COSMIC RO technique is able to provide very accurate measurement, which reiterates its importance as a powerful tool to explore the Earth’s atmosphere on the local and global scale

Cloud computing for energy management in smart grid - an application survey

The smart grid is the emerging energy system wherein the application of information technology, tools and techniques that make the grid run more efficiently. It possesses demand response capacity to help balance electrical consumption with supply. The challenges and opportunities of emerging and future smart grids can be addressed by cloud computing. To focus on these requirements, we provide an in-depth survey on different cloud computing applications for energy management in the smart grid architecture. In this survey, we present an outline of the current state of research on smart grid development. We also propose a model of cloud based economic power dispatch for smart grid