Comminuted fracture of patella treated by primary Ilizarov external fixation: a case report

Tension band wiring (TBW) is the conventional procedure for transverse patellar fractures. Comminuted fractures of patella are difficult to treat by TBW. Routine osteosynthesis procedures are prone for infection, implant failure and symptomatic hardware in such cases. We are reporting a case of comminuted patellar fracture in a 62 years old lady treated by Ilizarov external fixator. Patient presented with h/o fall and injury to right knee. There was swelling of the right knee. She was unable to bear weight and move her knee. Radiograph revealed a comminuted patellar fracture. Pre-operative evaluation was done. Ilizarov external fixation was done under spinal anaesthesia with one half ring and 5 trans osseous Ilizarov wires. The patient was allowed full weight bearing. Knee ROM was allowed. The fixator was removed after 4 months and physiotherapy continued. The patient was followed up for 3 years. She has full range of knee movements and is able to squat and sit cross-legged and the radiographs show good union. The Ilizarov external fixator in this case helped us to treat a comminuted fracture without opening of the fracture site and has prevented complications

Protective Effect of Selected Medicinal Plants against Hydrogen Peroxide Induced Oxidative Damage on Biological Substrates

Oxidative stress is developed due to susceptibility of biological substrates to oxidation by generation of free radicals. In degenerative diseases, oxidative stress level can be reduced by antioxidants which neutralize free radicals. Primary objective of this work was to screen four medicinal plants, namely, Andrographis paniculata, Costus speciosus, Canthium parviflorum, and Abrus precatorius, for their antioxidant property using two biological substrates-RBC and microsomes. The antioxidative ability of three solvent extracts, methanol (100% and 80%) and aqueous leaf extracts, was studied at different concentrations by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances method using Fenton's reagent to induce oxidation in the substrates. The polyphenol and flavonoid content were analyzed to relate with the observed antioxidant effect of the extracts. The phytochemical screening indicated the presence of flavonoids, polyphenols, tannins, and -carotene in the samples. In microsomes, 80% methanol extract of Canthium and Costus and, in RBC, 80% methanol extract of Costus showed highest inhibition of oxidation and correlated well with the polyphenol and flavonoid content. From the results it can be concluded that antioxidants from medicinal plants are capable of inhibiting oxidation in biological systems, suggesting scope for their use as nutraceuticals

Dude, Where’s the Identity?: A Cultural Analysis of Second-Generation Indians

Mentor: Catherine Meeks From the Washington University Undergraduate Research Digest: WUURD, Volume 4, Issue 1, Fall 2008. Published by the Office of Undergraduate Research. Henry Biggs, Director of Undergraduate Research and Associate Dean in the College of Arts & Sciences; Joy Zalis Kiefer, Undergraduate Research Coordinator, Co-editor, and Assistant Dean in the College of Arts & Sciences; Kristin Sobotka, Editor

Evaluating the Effects of Organic Amendment Applications on Nitrous Oxide Emissions From Salt-Affected Soils

Soil salinization and greenhouse gas emissions are major global environmental concerns. The extent of salinization and associated negative effects on soils and crop yields make the reclamation of these soils an international priority. With increasing interest in the use of organic amendments for remediating salt-affected soils, it is important to investigate their interactive effects on soil biogeochemical processes including greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O). The objectives of this dissertation are to: 1) evaluate the effects of soil salinity, temperature, and carbon availability from organic amendments on CO2, N2O, and N2 emissions; 2) determine the effect of changes in salinity and temperature on soil mineral N concentration from salt-affected soils following organic amendment applications; and 3) determine whether CO2 and N2O emissions under field conditions were comparable qualitatively to those observed in the laboratory incubation studies. Organic amendments used in this research included: active greenwaste (AGW), cured greenwaste compost (CGW), active dairy manure (ADM), and cured dairy manure compost (CDM). The methods used in this research included monitoring CO2 and N2O emissions, estimating N2 emissions using acetylene block technique, and analysis of soil mineral N concentrations in the laboratory and field studies. Results from laboratory incubations showed that increases in soil salinity enhanced cumulative N2O-N losses but decreased cumulative CO2-C and N2 emissions and N2 to N2O-N ratios. Increases in soil temperatures greatly enhanced cumulative CO2-C, N2O-N, and N2 emissions and ratios of N2 to N2O-N from all treatments. In the field, results validated the laboratory findings that active organic materials, particularly AGW, reduced N2O emissions compared to cured amendments. In general, dairy manure amendments produced higher N2O emissions relative to the greenwaste treatments. In both laboratory and field studies, soils amended with greenwaste materials had lower soil nitrate concentrations compared to those treated with dairy manure amendments. Overall, this work showed that soil salinization resulted in greater N2O emissions following organic amendment applications. Nitrous oxide emissions are dependent on climatic conditions (e.g., precipitation and temperature), soil properties (e.g., electrical conductivity, microbial respiration, and nitrate concentration), organic amendment properties (e.g., feedstock and processing stage), and their interactions

Medicinal plants of the Western ghats as possible inhibitors of oxidation in various biological lipid substrates

Abstract Medicinal plants are nature's fighters against several degenerative diseases. The reverse pharmacological approach focuses on traditional knowledge on the usage of medicinal plants for various diseases and revalidating the effect using modern techniques. The Western ghats of Southern India has sheltered a wide range of medicinal plants. The objective of this research work was to evaluate the oxidation inhibiting ability of aqueous extract of four medicinal plants from the Western ghats, namely; Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Wall. ex Nees, Costus speciosus (Koen.) Sm., Canthium parviflorum Lam. and Abrus precatorius L. in biological lipid substrates, viz., cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein and brain homogenate. The IC 50 values of the plant extracts were calculated and the correlation between the phytochemicals and the antioxidant effect exhibited was studied. From the results, it was observed that, the inhibition of oxidation by the aqueous extract of all the four medicinal plants, followed the order cholesterol >LDL> brain homogenate. C. parviflorum exhibited highest antioxidant activity in cholesterol (94.8%) and brain (37.35%) than compared to other medicinal plants. In LDL, the highest antioxidant activity (73.75%) was exhibited by C. speciosus. The antioxidant activity of CP and CS in the substrates correlated well with the polyphenol and flavonoid content of the extracts. The IC 50 values of CS in cholesterol (305 µg, r 2 = 0.9972) was the least among all the medicinal plants. The overall protective action in the substrates was higher in C. parviflorum than other medicinal plants. Thus, the selected medicinal plants can be further explored for its biological activity and utilized as sources of natural antioxidants and phytochemicals against various oxidative stress related diseases

Ex Vivo

Free radical-mediated oxidation is often linked to various degenerative diseases. Biological substrates with lipids as major components are susceptible to oxygen-derived lipid peroxidation due to their composition. Lipid peroxide products act as biomarkers in evaluating the antioxidant potential of various plants and functional foods. The study focused on evaluation of the antioxidant potential of two extracts (methanol and 80% methanol) of four medicinal plants, Andrographis paniculata, Costus speciosus, Canthium parviflorum, and Abrus precatorius, against Fenton reaction-mediated oxidation of three biological lipid substrates; cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and brain homogenate. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was measured by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances method. Also, the correlation between the polyphenol, flavonoid content, and the antioxidant activity in biological substrates was analyzed. Results indicated highest antioxidant potential by 80% methanol extract of Canthium parviflorum (97.55%), methanol extract of Andrographis paniculata (72.15%), and methanol extract of Canthium parviflorum (49.55%) in cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and brain, respectively. The polyphenol and flavonoid contents of methanol extract of Andrographis paniculata in cholesterol (r=0.816) and low-density lipoprotein (r=0.948) and Costus speciosus in brain (r=0.977, polyphenols, and r=0.949, flavonoids) correlated well with the antioxidant activity. The findings prove the antioxidant potential of the selected medicinal plants against Fenton reaction in biological lipid substrates

Ex vivo antioxidant activity of selected medicinal plants against fenton reaction-mediated oxidation of biological lipid substrates

Free radical-mediated oxidation is often linked to various degenerative diseases. Biological substrates with lipids as major components are susceptible to oxygen-derived lipid peroxidation due to their composition. Lipid peroxide products act as biomarkers in evaluating the antioxidant potential of various plants and functional foods. The study focused on evaluation of the antioxidant potential of two extracts (methanol and 80% methanol) of four medicinal plants, Andrographis paniculata, Costus speciosus, Canthium parviflorum, and Abrus precatorius, against Fenton reaction-mediated oxidation of three biological lipid substrates; cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and brain homogenate. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was measured by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances method. Also, the correlation between the polyphenol, flavonoid content, and the antioxidant activity in biological substrates was analyzed. Results indicated highest antioxidant potential by 80% methanol extract of Canthium parviflorum (97.55%), methanol extract of Andrographis paniculata (72.15%), and methanol extract of Canthium parviflorum (49.55%) in cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and brain, respectively. The polyphenol and flavonoid contents of methanol extract of Andrographis paniculata in cholesterol (r=0.816) and low-density lipoprotein (r=0.948) and Costus speciosus in brain (r=0.977, polyphenols, and r=0.949, flavonoids) correlated well with the antioxidant activity. The findings prove the antioxidant potential of the selected medicinal plants against Fenton reaction in biological lipid substrates

Medicinal plants of the Western ghats as possible inhibitors of oxidationin various biological lipid substrates

Medicinal plants are nature’s fighters against several degenerative diseases. The reversepharmacological approach focuses on traditional knowledge on the usage of medicinal plants forvarious diseases and revalidating the effect using modern techniques. The Western ghats of SouthernIndia has sheltered a wide range of medicinal plants. The objective of this research work was toevalu ate the oxidation inhibiting ability of aqueou s extract of fou r medicinal plants from theWestern ghats, namely; Andrographispaniculata (Burm.f.) Wall. ex Nees, Costus speciosus (Koen.)Sm., Canth ium parviflorum Lam.and Abru s p reca torius L. in biological lipid substrates, viz.,cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein and brain homogenate. The IC50 values of the plant extractswere calculated and the correlation between the phytochemicals and the antioxidant effect exhibitedwas stu died. From the resu lts, it was observed that, the inhibition of oxidation by the aqu eousextract of all the four medicinal plants, followed the order cholesterol >LDL> brain homogenate.C. parviflorum exhibited highest antioxidant activity in cholesterol (94.8%) and brain (37.35%)than compared to other medicinal plants. In LDL, the highest antioxidant activity (73.75%) wasexhibited by C. speciosus. The antioxidant activity of CP and CS in the substrates correlated wellwith the polyphenol and flavonoid content of the extracts. T he IC50 values of CS in cholesterol(305 μg, r2 = 0.9972) was the least among all the medicinal plants. The overall protective action inthe substrates was higher in C. parviflorum than other medicinal plants. Thus, the selected medicinalplants can be further explored for its biological activity and utilized as sources of natural antioxidantsand phytochemicals against various oxidative stress related disease

Protective effect of selected medicinal plants against gydrogen peroxide induced oxidative damage on biological substrates

Oxidative stress is developed due to susceptibility of biological substrates to oxidation by generation of free radicals. In degenerative diseases, oxidative stress level can be reduced by antioxidants which neutralize free radicals. Primary objective of this work was to screen four medicinal plants, namely, Andrographis paniculata, Costus speciosus, Canthium parviflorum, and Abrus precatorius, for their antioxidant property using two biological substrates—RBC and microsomes. The antioxidative ability of three solvent extracts, methanol (100% and 80%) and aqueous leaf extracts, was studied at different concentrations by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances method using Fenton’s reagent to induce oxidation in the substrates. The polyphenol and flavonoid content were analyzed to relate with the observed antioxidant effect of the extracts. The phytochemical screening indicated the presence of flavonoids, polyphenols, tannins, and β-carotene in the samples. In microsomes, 80% methanol extract of Canthium and Costus and, in RBC, 80% methanol extract of Costus showed highest inhibition of oxidation and correlated well with the polyphenol and flavonoid content. From the results it can be concluded that antioxidants from medicinal plants are capable of inhibiting oxidation in biological systems, suggesting scope for their use as nutraceuticals

Simultaneous Thermal and Spectroscopic Screening of Morphologically Complex Theranostic Gold Nanoparticles

Gold nanoparticles absorb light energy and convert it to thermal energy that transfers to the surrounding environment, making them potentially useful for the hyperthermic treatments well known as photothermal therapy (PTT). Further, it is well documented that noble metal nanoparticles are capable of significantly enhancing the Raman scattering of molecules attached to their surfaces, a technique which is termed surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). SERS combined with PTT has the ability to locate nanoparticles at depth and trigger heat production, providing an effective methodology to both seek and destroy diseased tissues. While PTT and SERS are often used in tandem and there are several ways of individually measuring SERS and thermal output, there is currently no method available that pre-screens both properties prior to in vitro or in vivo application. In this work, we have designed a 3D printed platform capable of coupling a commercially available Raman probe to a sample cuvette for SERS and heat output to be monitored simultaneously. We have compared the performance of morphologically complex gold nanoparticles, nanostars (AuNSs) and nanoplates (AuNPLs), which are both well utilized in SERS and photothermal experiments; and measured the SERS activity originating from common Raman reporter analytes 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (MBA) and 1,4-benzenedithiol (BDT). We were able to show that the system effectively measures the thermal output and SERS activity of the particles and can evaluate the effect that multiple irradiation cycles have on the SERS signal