Qualitative Analysis and Antibacterial Activity of Pelargonium graveolenL’Herit

Medicinal plants are an important source of phytochemicals that offer traditional medicinal treatment of various ailments and one of the plants is Pelargonium Graveolens which was grown in Hyderabad province. The preliminary screening of their aerial leaves showed best results the presence of different phytochemical like alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, phenol, sterol and lignin found in Methanolic and Ethyl acetate extract. However chloroform extract revealed the absence of alkaloids and sterols, where as in Water extract flavonoids, phenol, sterol and lignin. The best resulted extracts from preliminary screening test were subjected to Antimicrobial studies like some on gram positive and gram negative bacterial strains which exhibited a significant effect.  The both ethyl acetate  and methanolic extracts were showed the similar zone of inhibition on gram positive bacteria (S.aurea and B.Subtilus) whereas  ethyl acetate  extract positive inhibition on k.pneumonia  when compare to methanolic  extract  and which are more active suppression on gram negative  bacterial (E.coli) in comparison with the standard antibiotic.

Qualitative Analysis and Antibacterial Activity of Pelargonium graveolenL’Herit

Medicinal plants are an important source of phytochemicals that offer traditional medicinal treatment of various ailments and one of the plants is Pelargonium Graveolens which was grown in Hyderabad province. The preliminary screening of their aerial leaves showed best results the presence of different phytochemical like alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, phenol, sterol and lignin found in Methanolic and Ethyl acetate extract. However chloroform extract revealed the absence of alkaloids and sterols, where as in Water extract flavonoids, phenol, sterol and lignin. The best resulted extracts from preliminary screening test were subjected to Antimicrobial studies like some on gram positive and gram negative bacterial strains which exhibited a significant effect.  The both ethyl acetate  and methanolic extracts were showed the similar zone of inhibition on gram positive bacteria (S.aurea and B.Subtilus) whereas  ethyl acetate  extract positive inhibition on k.pneumonia  when compare to methanolic  extract  and which are more active suppression on gram negative  bacterial (E.coli) in comparison with the standard antibiotic.

Imaging features of bile duct adenoma: case series and review of literature

PURPOSE:We aimed to evaluate the imaging features of bile duct adenoma (BDA) on ultrasonography (US), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).METHODS:Retrospective search in our institution database was performed for histologically confirmed BDA. Their imaging studies before histologic confirmation were reviewed. The search identified seven adults (mean age, 52.9 years) with histologically proven single BDA each. US (n=3), CT (n=5), and MRI (n=3) were performed before histologic confirmation. Additionally, a systematic English literature review for BDA and reported imaging findings since 2000 was also conducted using the following search criteria “bile duct adenoma, peribiliary hamartoma, biliary adenoma, CT, ultrasound, MRI” (date range: 01/01/2000 through 08/31/2016). The imaging findings of those cases reported were summarized and compared with our series.RESULTS:All seven individual nodules were well circumscribed. Five lesions were located in the right hepatic lobe and two in the left hepatic lobe. On US, lesions appeared hypoechoic (n=2) and hyperechoic (n=1). BDA was hypodense on unenhanced CT images (n=1). On MRI, BDA were hypointense on T1 (n=3), hyperintense on T2 (n=3), and hyperintense on diffusion-weighted images (n=2). On contrast-enhanced CT and MRI, BDAs showed arterial phase hyperenhancement that persisted on portal venous/delayed phase images.CONCLUSION:BDA demonstrates characteristic arterial phase hyperenhancement that persisted into the portal venous and delayed phases on CT and MRI, which may be useful in differentiating from other hepatic lesions

Development of one-step reverse transcription PCR assay for detection of porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus in pigs

The present study aimed to develop an in-house one-step reverse transcription (RT) PCR assay as a diagnostic preparedness for the detection of porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDV) in pigs. Primers and gene construct targeting the nucleoprotein gene of PEDV were designed and synthesised. In vitro transcribed (IVT) RNA synthesised from linearised plasmid DNA containing the gene of interest was used as the positive control for the development of the RT-PCR assay. The RT-PCR protocol was optimised using different concentrations of molecular reagents, the gradient of annealing temperatures and other thermal cycling conditions. Analytical sensitivity of the RT-PCR assay was determined using 10-fold serial dilutions of the IVT-RNA directly and of the RNA extracted from swine faeces spiked with the IVT- RNA. The developed RT-PCR assay had analytical sensitivity of 939 and 2682 RNA copies at 10-7 and 10-6 dilutions in IVT-RNA directly and RNA extracted from spiked faeces, respectively. The RT-PCR assay was found to be specific for PEDV, without any amplification for classical swine fever virus, swine influenza virus, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus and transmissible gastroenteritis virus. All the known negative field faecal samples (n=126) of pigs tested negative by the developed RT-PCR. The one-step RT-PCR assay developed in the present study will be highly useful in specific diagnosis of the disease in the event of its future ingression, and will also aid in monitoring of PED in Indian swine population

Overexpression of ß-Ketoacyl Co-A Synthase1 Gene Improves Tolerance of Drought Susceptible Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Cultivar K-6 by Increased Leaf Epicuticular Wax Accumulation

Drought is one of the major environmental constraints affecting the crop productivity worldwide. One of the agricultural challenges today is to develop plants with minimized water utilization and reduced water loss in adverse environmental conditions. Epicuticular waxes play a major role in minimizing water loss. Epicuticular wax covers aerial plant parts and also prevents non-stomatal water loss by forming the outermost barrier from the surfaces. Epicuticular wax content (EWC) variation was found to be affiliated with drought tolerance of groundnut cultivars. In the current study, a fatty acid elongase gene, KCS1, which catalyzes a rate limiting step in the epicuticular wax biosynthesis was isolated from drought tolerant cultivar K-9 and overexpressed in drought sensitive groundnut cultivar (K-6) under the control of CaMV35S constitutive promoter. Transgenic groundnut plants overexpressing AhKCS1 exhibited normal growth and displaying greenish dark shiny appearance. Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) revealed the excess of epicuticular wax crystal depositions on the transgenic plant leaves compared to non-transgenic wild type plants. The findings were further supported by gas chromotography–mass spectroscopic analysis (GC-MS) that revealed enhanced levels of fatty acids, secondary alcohols, primary alcohols, aldehydes, alkanes, and ketones in transgenics compared to wild types. The AhKCS1 overexpressing transgenic groundnut plants exhibited increase in the cuticular wax content, reduction of water loss, lower membrane damage, decreased MDA content, and high proline content compared to that of non-transgenic groundnut plants. Our findings suggest that the AhKCS1 gene plays a major role in combating drought stress by preventing non-stomatal water loss in drought sensitive groundnut cultivar (K-6)

Chemotherapy-associated liver morphological changes in hepatic metastases (CALMCHeM)

PURPOSETo review imaging findings in chemotherapy-associated liver morphological changes in hepatic metastases (CALMCHeM) on computed tomography (CT)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and its association with tumor burden.METHODSWe performed a retrospective chart review to identify patients with hepatic metastases who received chemotherapy and subsequent follow-up imaging where CT or MRI showed morphological changes in the liver. The morphological changes searched for were nodularity, capsular retraction, hypodense fibrotic bands, lobulated outline, atrophy or hypertrophy of segments or lobes, widened fissures, and one or more features of portal hypertension (splenomegaly/venous collaterals/ascites). The inclusion criteria were as follows: a) no known chronic liver disease; b) availability of CT or MRI images before chemotherapy that showed no morphological signs of chronic liver disease; c) at least one follow-up CT or MRI image demonstrating CALMCHeM after chemotherapy. Two radiologists in consensus graded the initial hepatic metastases tumor burden according to number (≤10 and >10), lobe distribution (single or both lobes), and liver parenchyma volume affected (10 in 64.4% of patients. The volume of liver involved was <50% in 79.8% and ≥50% in 20.2% of cases. The severity of CALMCHeM at the first imaging follow-up was associated with a larger number of metastases (P = 0.002) and volume of the liver affected (P = 0.015). The severity of CALMCHeM had progressed to moderate to severe changes in 85.9% of patients, and 72.5% of patients had one or more features of portal hypertension at the last follow-up. The most common features at the final follow-up were nodularity (95.0%), capsular retraction (93.4%), atrophy (66.2%), and ascites (65.7%). The Cox proportional hazard model showed metastases affected ≥50% of the liver (P = 0.033), and the female gender (P = 0.004) was independently associated with severe CALMCHeM.CONCLUSIONCALMCHeM can be observed with a wide variety of malignancies, is progressive in severity, and the severity correlates with the initial metastatic liver disease burden

Magnetic resonance imaging as a non-invasive method for the assessment of pancreatic fibrosis (MINIMAP): a comprehensive study design from the consortium for the study of chronic pancreatitis, diabetes, and pancreatic cancer

Characteristic features of chronic pancreatitis (CP) may be absent on standard imaging studies. Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques such as T1 mapping, extracellular volume (ECV) fraction, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) with apparent diffusion coefficient map (ADC), MR elastography (MRE), and T1-weighted signal intensity ratio (SIR) have shown promise for the diagnosis and grading severity of CP. However, radiologists still use the Cambridge classification which is based on traditional ductal imaging alone. There is an urgent need to develop new diagnostic criteria that incorporate both parenchymal and ductal features of CP seen by MRI/MRCP. Designed to fulfill this clinical need, we present the MINIMAP study, which was funded in September 2018 by the National Institutes of Health. This is a comprehensive quantitative MR imaging study which will be performed at multiple institutions in well-phenotyped CP patient cohorts. We hypothesize that quantitative MRI/MRCP features can serve as valuable non-invasive imaging biomarkers to detect and grade CP. We will evaluate the role of T1 relaxometry, ECV, T1-weighted gradient echo SIR, MRE, arteriovenous enhancement ratio, ADC, pancreas volume/atrophy, pancreatic fat fraction, ductal features, and pancreatic exocrine output following secretin stimulation in the assessment of CP. We will attempt to generate a multi-parametric pancreatic tissue fibrosis (PTF) scoring system. We anticipate that a quantitative scoring system may serve as a biomarker of pancreatic fibrosis; hence this imaging technique can be used in clinical practice as well as clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of agents which may slow the progression or reverse measures of CP

Sex difference and intra-operative tidal volume: Insights from the LAS VEGAS study

BACKGROUND: One key element of lung-protective ventilation is the use of a low tidal volume (VT). A sex difference in use of low tidal volume ventilation (LTVV) has been described in critically ill ICU patients.OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine whether a sex difference in use of LTVV also exists in operating room patients, and if present what factors drive this difference.DESIGN, PATIENTS AND SETTING: This is a posthoc analysis of LAS VEGAS, a 1-week worldwide observational study in adults requiring intra-operative ventilation during general anaesthesia for surgery in 146 hospitals in 29 countries.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Women and men were compared with respect to use of LTVV, defined as VT of 8 ml kg-1 or less predicted bodyweight (PBW). A VT was deemed 'default' if the set VT was a round number. A mediation analysis assessed which factors may explain the sex difference in use of LTVV during intra-operative ventilation.RESULTS: This analysis includes 9864 patients, of whom 5425 (55%) were women. A default VT was often set, both in women and men; mode VT was 500 ml. Median [IQR] VT was higher in women than in men (8.6 [7.7 to 9.6] vs. 7.6 [6.8 to 8.4] ml kg-1 PBW, P &lt; 0.001). Compared with men, women were twice as likely not to receive LTVV [68.8 vs. 36.0%; relative risk ratio 2.1 (95% CI 1.9 to 2.1), P &lt; 0.001]. In the mediation analysis, patients' height and actual body weight (ABW) explained 81 and 18% of the sex difference in use of LTVV, respectively; it was not explained by the use of a default VT.CONCLUSION: In this worldwide cohort of patients receiving intra-operative ventilation during general anaesthesia for surgery, women received a higher VT than men during intra-operative ventilation. The risk for a female not to receive LTVV during surgery was double that of males. Height and ABW were the two mediators of the sex difference in use of LTVV.TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered at Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01601223