Several diseases affect maize plants and one among them is black bundle disease, causal organism of which is yet to be confirmed with conflicting reports appearing in literature. In the present work, an effort was made to record the disease incidence by carry out filed surveys in Southern most district of Karnataka state, India and also to isolate and identify the causal organism. The surface sterilized pith tissue from the infected plants was cultured on PDA medium to identify the organism in the affected vascular tissue. The isolated tissue produce Cephalosporium acremonium which was confirmed based on morphological characters. In addition, Simplicillium sp. and Macrophomina phaseolina were also isolated from the same infected plant material and suspected to have participated in the disease development. In accordance with several reports in literature, Cephalosporium acremonium was tested and confirmed as the causal organism of disease in green house experiments by following the Koch’s postulates. This is in contrast with some earlier reports, wherein the exact symptoms of black bundle disease were reported as barren stalks in corn caused by Fusarium sp. The simplicillium sp. which had morphological similarity with C. acremonium and had an ambiguous taxonomic status in literature was confirmed as a distinct species through PCR based diagnosis.
Vitamin C is associated with history of the cause of the ancient hemorrhagic disease scurvy. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient with important antioxidant properties. It is required by the body for normal physiological function. The body cannot synthesize vitamin C, it is present in nature through foods and other natural sources and it exists as a nutritional food supplement. The antioxidant activity of vitamin C protects the body from free radical damage. Vitamin C is essential for the development and maintenance of connective tissues. It is used as therapeutic agent in many diseases and disorders. Vitamin C plays an important role in several metabolic functions, as the conversion of the amino acid, tryptophan, to the neurotransmitter, serotonin, and the conversion of cholesterol to bile acids. Vitamin C supplementation resulted in a significant increase in vitamin C levels in populations; its high intake is associated with positive effects on cardiovascular risk factors. Vitamin C protects the immune system, reduces the severity of allergic reactions and helps to fight infections. It has an important role in bone formation, wound healing and the maintenance of healthy gums. There is profound beneficial effect of vitamin C in respect to human diseases as cancer, atherosclerosis, diabetes, neurodegenerative disease and many metal toxicities. Several vitamin C analogs have been produced as anticancer and antioxidant activity. Vitamin C is useful if it is used as adjuvant therapy for several chronic diseases. Thus, this review summarizes the importance of vitamin C in the body’s physiology and biochemistry, in addition, the different mechanisms that vitamin C is implicated to treat different acute and chronic diseases. Future exploration should pay attention to chronic disease management by vitamin C.
Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a prevalent congenital cardiac anomaly. It is increasingly acknowledged as a significant factor in cryptogenic ischemic stroke, especially among young adults experiencing otherwise unexplained cerebrovascular incidents. This review summarizes recent advances in the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnostic strategies, and management of PFO-related stroke. The article examines the intricate mechanisms of PFO-associated strokes, including paradoxical embolism, in situ thrombus formation, and atrial cardiopathy, while emphasizing the significance of anatomical risk factors like large shunt size and atrial septal aneurysm. The clinical implications of PFO in various disorders, such as migraine with aura, decompression sickness, and high-altitude pulmonary edema, are also analyzed. Diagnostic modalities such as echocardiography and transcranial Doppler are compared, focusing on their sensitivities and procedural details. The review focuses on evidence-based methods for medical, interventional, and device-based closure of PFO, highlighting patient selection and ongoing controversies. The ongoing uncertainties surrounding causal relationships, risk stratification, and optimal therapy highlight the necessity for continued research. This review offers a current synthesis for clinicians and researchers addressing the challenges associated with the evaluation and management of PFO in stroke prevention. To achieve the aims of the article and make it concise, PubMed, Google, EMBASE, Google Scholar, and Scopus were searched for original and review articles published in the last 10 years. Several keywords, phrases, and texts were utilized.
Geotextiles have been successfully used for reinforcement of soils to improve the bearing capacity. In this study geotextile as a tensional material have been used for reinforcement of granular soils. Laboratory California Bearing Ratio (CBR) tests were performed to investigate the load-penetration behavior of reinforced soils with geotextile. Samples of granular soil are selected and tested without reinforcement. Then CBR tests were performed by placing geotextile in one or two layers at various depths in soil sample. The effect of the number of geotextile on the increase in bearing capacity of reinforced granular soil is discussed.
For utilization of a certain biomass it is necessary to know its chemical composition. The present study is qualitative crude chemical analyses of nutritional value (crude compounds) such as acidity, starch, carohydrates, iron and calcium etc. from stem extracts of Tinospora cardifolia, Centella asiatica, Clerodendrum inerme and leaf extract of Ocimum sanctum, Lawsonia inermis and Piper nigrum were conducted and also separate the pigments by TLC methods. The results revealed that Tinospora cardifolia, biomolecules like starch and carbohydrates were present and elements like iron and calcium were absent. In Centella asiatica indicated the absence of biomolecules like starch and carbohydrates and only one molecules, i.e., calcium is present and iron is absent. Similarly, in Clerodendrum inerme, biomolecules like starch were absent and carbohydrates were present. Both the elements iron and calcium were absent in Clerodendrum plant extracts. In Ocimum sanctum, starch is absent carbohydrates are present, iron and calcium are absent. In Lawsonia inermis, the results are similar to Ocimum sp. i.e., only carbohydrates are present remaining starch, iron and calcium are absent in Ocimum leaf extract. Interestingly, in Piper nigrum, all chemical compounds are totally absent. Related to pigments analysis highest distance travelled pigments are carotenoids (4.3 cm) in O. sanctum and highest numbers of pigments were founded in C. inerme with six pigments and least number of pigments was recorded in O. sanctum (four) and L. inermis (four). Meanwhile, the highest Rf value recorded in O. sanctum and P. nigrum with 0.97 (chlorophyll a). Among the seven pigments in six species carotenoids, chlorophyll a and xanthophylls are common to all species but chlorophyll b, lutein, anthocyanin and lawsonin are rare to occurs in these six species for example Lawsonin occur only in P. nigrum.
This research will discuss the new destination of Toraja coffee as a tourism development strategy. Questions that will be answered is what is the attraction of Toraja coffee tourism as a new tourist destination. Methods of research conducted are field observation and interviews with coffee stakeholders as an informant and foreign tourists as respondents. The results of this study concluded that the appeal of Toraja coffee as a tourism destination is Toraja coffee has characteristic (taste) differently based on the planting area Toraja coffee. There are 15 names of coffee products based on the region and the name of Toraja coffee products taken from the region. E.g. coffee Toraja Sapan, derived from the Sapan area, and coffee Sesean derived from the village of Sesean. Perception of foreign tourists to Toraja coffee is that the taste of Toraja coffee is different based on the height of the coffee planting area to be a tourism identity Toraja Agritourism.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Fixed-bed column has been considered an industrially feasible technique for phosphate removal from water. Besides the adsorption capacity, the effectiveness of an adsorbent is also determined by its reusability efficiency. In this study, phosphate removal by a synthesized amorphous zirconium (hydr)oxide/MgFe layered double hydroxides composite in a fixed-bed column system was examined. METHODS: The effects of flow rate, bed height, phosphate concentration, solution pH, and adsorbent particle size on the phosphate adsorption ability were examined through a series of continuous adsorption experiments. The appropriate breakthrough curve models, phosphate adsorption from real anaerobic sludge and synthetic seawater, column regeneration and reusability, and adsorption mechanism were also investigated for practical application feasibility. FINDINGS: The results showed that the increased bed height and phosphate concentration, and reduced flow rate, pH, and adsorbent particle size were found to increase the column adsorption capacity. The optimum adsorption capacity of 25.15 mg-P/g was obtained at pH 4. The coexistence of seawater ions had a positive effect on the phosphate adsorption capacity of the composite. Nearly complete phosphate desorption, with a desorption efficiency of 91.7%, could be effectively achieved by 0.1 N NaOH for an hour. Moreover, the initial adsorption capacity was maintained at approximately 83% even after eight adsorption-desorption cycles, indicating that the composite is economically feasible. The high phosphate adsorption capacity of the composite involves three main adsorption mechanisms, which are electrostatic attraction, inner-sphere complexation, and anion exchange, where the amorphous zirconium hydr(oxide) on the surface of the layered double hydroxides likely increased the number of active binding sites and surface area for adsorption. CONCLUSION: The amorphous zirconium (hydr)oxide/MgFe layered double hydroxides composite, with its high adsorption capacity and superior reusability, has the potential to be utilized as an adsorbent for phosphorus removal in practical wastewater treatment. This study provides insights into the design of amorphous zirconium (hydr)oxide/MgFe layered double hydroxides composite for phosphorus removal and recovery in a practical system.
Cervical and ovarian cancers contribute significantly to female morbidity and mortality worldwide. The current standard of treatment, including surgical removal, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, offers poor outcomes. There are many side effects to traditional chemotherapeutic agents and treatment-resistant types, and often, the immune response is depressed. As a result, conventional approaches have evolved to include new alternative remedies, such as natural compounds. Aquatic species provide a rich supply of possible drugs. The potential anti-cancer peptides are less toxic to normal cells and can attenuate multiple drug resistance by providing a productive treatment approach. The physiological effects of marine peptides are described in this review, which focuses on various pathways, such as apoptosis, microtubule balance disturbances, suppression of angiogenesis, cell migration/invasion, and cell viability. The review also highlights the potential role of marine peptides as safe and efficacious therapeutic agents for treating cervical and ovarian cancers.
Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a rare and new but increasingly recognized immune-mediated fibroinflammatory condition known to affect multiple organs. The diagnostic approach is challenging, as there is no single investigation to confirm the diagnosis, which requires the integration of clinical, biochemical, and radiographic manifestations with classic histopathologic features to establish the diagnosis. The histology of IgG4-RD is determined by a dense lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate, storiform fibrosis, and obliterative phlebitis in the presence of an increased level of IgG4 in most patients. The first line of treatment is systemic glucocorticoids, but adverse effects of the drug, suboptimal response, and disease recurrences on reduction or termination of therapy highlight the need for an alternative therapy such as rituximab, which appears to be a promising alternate agent in the treatment of IgG4-RD; however, its efficacy needs to be evaluated in large clinically controlled trials.
The present review was written to describe the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on followup and treatment process of gynecological cancers and breast cancer in accordance with current literature, guidelines from national and international cancer associations. Recommendations were provided based on the consensus conference model. In the follow-up and treatment process of gynecological cancers and breast cancer, there are many factors, such as the clinical course of patient, the possibility of an emergency of the patient, the stage of the cancer and the current status of the chemotherapies. Although opinions in all types of cancer differ among themselves, general beliefs are postponement of non-urgent surgical operations, re-evaluation of chemotherapy processes, postponing appointments for new nonurgent diagnoses, reducing the length of hospital stay of patients in emergency procedures, conducting consultations by telemedicine or telephone, treatment of patients with COVID-19 suspicions after 15 days, planning biopsies or surgeries according to the staging status of cancers and planning conferences as video conferences in cases that require a multidisciplinary approach. Patients diagnosed with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic should not be lost, followup and treatment should be continued without disruption, patients should be remembered to be in the high-risk group in this process and necessary hygiene measures should be taken in both follow-up and treatment concerning risks and COVID-19 pandemics.
Every religion includes a whole series of beliefs and practices and we should start by concentrating our attention on religious practices to understand a religion. This paper intended to clarify the religious practices of Vietnamese Catholic Youth. Based on the theory of Glock and Stark and by using survey method, descriptive statistics, this is the first study to demonstrate the religious practices of youths in a diocese of Vietnam. This issue considered as an interesting research topic in the context of Vietnamese research because it explores youths lives from a different perspective by focusing on the micro level of analysis. The respondents in this study were total of 388 young adults between 18 and 30 years of ages from 24 parishes who were randomly selected through Probability Proportional to size sampling method. The findings of the research indicate that the ritualistic dimension of religiosity among Vietnamese Catholic youth is still so high in the context of change in Vietnam
Before the start of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, the whole environment around us had been deemed very toxic to breathe in due to the amount of greenhouse gases that had been emitted over the centuries. The Earth faced rising temperatures, which in turn led to the melting of glaciers and rising of sea levels. Environmental degradation was happening fast due to the depletion of resources such as air, water and soil. But after the coronavirus lockdown (Talabandi) commenced, there have been changes in the environment. The lockdown still has a huge impact on people in India too. The halt of industrial production and traffic resulted in cleaner air and rivers. In India the first phase of the nationwide lockdown that began on March 24 followed by enforcement of a series of regulations had some evidences that the COVID-19 curve is flattening in the country's COVID-19 affected regions. There was a good chance Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the lockdown (Talabandi) four times that ended on (Phase 1 (24 March-14 April)., Phase 2 (15 April-3 May)., Phase 3 (4 May-17 May) & Phase 4 (18 May-31 May). The paper focuses on different aspects of environmental impact due to SARS-CoV-2 in India.
The United Kingdom (UK) is a constitutional monarchy where the Head of State is currently the Queen (part of the monarch) rather than the president. The roles, functions, and power are considered via convention, among them being that the monarch should be neutral politically (Bodleian Libraries 2021). The UK has three legal systems for England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland (Rab 2021). The former two nations use the common law system combining the approval of legislation by parliament, which includes the Monarch, House of Commons, and House of Lords, and the creation of precedents via case law (Rab 2021). The House of Commons is elected the population, with the Prime Minister being a traditional member of the House (Rab 2021). On the other hand, the judiciary is appointed to control the Court System and case law and is separate from the Parliament (Bodleian Libraries 2021). However, these systems are the UK law emanating from applicable laws to the UK, including its citizens. The UK law is summarized in the concept map highlighting the different types of laws governing the UK
The application of clinical pharmacokinetic is the responsibility of all pharmacists providing pharmaceutical care. An appropriately applied clinical pharmacokinetic is expected to result in improved patient outcomes: decreased mortality, reduced length of treatment, reduced length of hospital stays and cost-savings. Data on the extend of pharmacokinetic application in Libyan hospitals remain scarce but available subjective evidence suggests that services related to clinical pharmacokinetic are mostly provided and performed by professionals other than clinical pharmacists. To explore the training background and perceptions of pharmacists on the pharmacokinetic course contents they received during their undergraduate pharmacy programs. Also, to determine the attitudes and barriers experienced by the pharmacists when applying pharmacokinetic principles in their current practice. This is a cross-sectional, descriptive study that was conducted between July 2018 and November 2019 using a self-administered survey. The study targeted hospital pharmacists practicing in different hospitals in Libya. A total of 104 pharmacists completed the questionnaire and submitted it back. The majority of participants learned pharmacokinetic courses as a mandatory course during undergraduate courses 81.0% with 37.0% selecting that course was taught as a separate course or courses. Around 80.0% of the participants agreed or strongly agreed that pharmacokinetic courses received in undergraduate studies are useful in pharmacy practice with over 75.0% of the participants agreeing or strongly agreeing on relevance of those course to their current clinical practice. About 40.0% of the participants described their current skills in allowing optimal patient care as can be better. Different barriers were highlighted by the participants to allow sufficient clinical pharmacokinetic practice including lack of sufficient information, lack of awareness of pharmacists’ role and skills in applying clinical pharmacokinetic by other pharmacists and by other health care providers. Thus, this study shows that most practicing pharmacists showed a positive attitude of current pharmacokinetic practice and to the impact of their undergraduate studies on their successful practice. However, they have clearly addressed the room for improvement.
Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
Turcicum leaf blight (TLB) and Polysora rust diseases are taking heavy shiver in all maize growing regions of Karnataka. Several new fungicides are used to control the diseases, among them strobilurin group fungicides in combination with triazolefungicides are found effective in management of diseases. A mixture of Trifloxystrobin 50 WG + Tebuconazole 250 EC and mixture of Azoxystrobin 25 SC + Difenoconazole 25 EC were used in this study to manage the TLB and Polysora rust. The two combination fungicides were evaluated in different days against TLB and Polysora rust on two susceptible varieties namely 219J and CM 202. Results revealed that mixture of Trifloxystrobin 50 WG + Tebuconazole 250 EC @ 0.7 g/lit and mixture of Azoxystrobin 25 SC + Difenoconazole 25 EC @ 2.5 ml/litwere found effective in the management of TLB (15.0 % and 11.0 % respectively) and mixture of Trifloxystrobin 50 WG + Tebuconazole 250 EC @ 0.7 g/lit were found effective in controlling Polysora rust (13.2 %). Allied to yield, more significant increase in yield was recorded in treatment Trifloxystrobin 50 WG + Tebuconazole 250 EC @ 0.7 g/lit (5131.1kgs/ha). While, mixtures of Azoxystrobin 25 SC + Difenoconazole 25 EC @ 2.5 ml/lit recorded yield of 5913.0 kgs/ha, this was significantly superior with respect to disease control and yield aspects.
Garcinia cambogia, commonly known as Asam Gelugur, has entrenched itself as a traditional herbal medicine, renowned for its applications in treating obesity and its integration into global nutraceutical formulations. The bioactive compounds within, particularly hydroxy citric acid, mediate various effects. This study aims to assess the in vitro cytotoxicity of Taxol, a cytotoxic drug used as a control, and the aqueous extract from Garcinia cambogia against the Vero cell line - a kidney-like cell. Cytotoxicity was evaluated using the 3-(4,5-dimetyl-2-2thiazolyl)-2, 5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The assay relies on mitochondrial succinate dehydrogenase's potential to reduce MTT, providing a colorimetric indication of cell viability. The results revealed an IC50 value exceeding 500 µg/mL for the aqueous extract from Garcinia cambogia significantly higher than Taxol's 0.0581 µg/mL. This higher IC50 value implies lower toxicity, positioning the Garcinia cambogia extract as a safe component in nutraceuticals and herbal supplements. The aqueous extract of Garcinia cambogia demonstrates low cytotoxicity, reinforcing its safety profile for use in nutraceuticals, which contributes valuable insights into the safety considerations of incorporating Garcinia cambogia into herbal supplements.
Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
Impurity is something that is impure or makes something else impure. An impure substance may be defined as follows: a substance of interest mixed or impregnated with an extraneous or usually inferior substance, from the standpoint of its usage, the drug substance is compromised in terms of purity even if it contains another material with superior pharmacological or toxicological properties. The impurity may be developed either during formulation, or upon aging of both API’s and formulated API’s in medicines. The presence of these unwanted chemicals, even in small amount, may influence the efficacy and safety of the pharmaceutical products. The impurities are not necessarily always inferior. Highly sophisticated instrumentation, such as mass spectra meters attached to a Gas Chromatography or HPLC, are inevitable tools in the identification of minor components (drugs, impurities, degradation products, metabolites) in various matrices. Present article reveals different impurities found in the API’s, methods for identifying them and the possible measures to deal with the interferences caused by them in pharmaceutical analysis.
Background: Scabies is characterized by the presence of burrows, erythematous papules, and generalized pruritus which is usually worse at night. Recently an upsurge in the incidence of scabies has been reported in many settings, including the area of the study. The study aimed to determine if there is a nexus between scabies and climate change as a risk factor. Methods: This was a case-control study carried out in a Cottage Hospital. Case files of 18, 000 patients who attended the hospital between 2016 and 2019 were reviewed. The diagnosis was mainly clinical, i.e. based on the presence of itching in the typical scabies locations, presence of scabies burrows and history of similar itching in the other members of the patient’s household. 112 cases of scabies were diagnosed within this period. Results: From 2016 to 2019, the incidence of scabies rose from 3 to 50. Prevalence among males was 59.8%, and in females 40.2%, although the difference was not significant (p=0.0.53). Compared to other age groups, prevalence was highest in the 6-17 years age group (37.5%), but the difference among the age groups was also not significant (p=0.84). Conclusions: Within four years (2016-2019), the incidence of scabies had risen from 3 to 50 in the area of the study, being higher in males (59.8%) than females (40.2%), and in children less than 18 years (37.5%). Community survey, prompt diagnosis, adequate treatment and avoidance of overcrowding might help to stem the observed rising incidence of the disease.
Effective communication between patients and doctors is fundamental to high-quality healthcare, patient safety, and overall satisfaction. However, the onset of COVID-19 has prompted significant shifts in communication from in-room and face-to-face interactions to virtual consults. The impact of this pandemic related change on patient-doctor communication goals, processes, attributes, and environment remains unclear. We undertook a scoping review involving the systematic search of seven academic databases for relevant articles published up to and including June 2021. In total, 47 articles were identified that met the inclusion criteria. We applied the patient-doctor communication framework to guide our deductive thematic analysis of articles included, sorting results from reported studies and position papers into themes and sub-themes. The theme of communication goals highlighted sub-themes related to patient safety, convenience, affordability, and satisfaction; preparation included sub-themes on technology interventions, workforce training, and digital literacy; participant attributes included compassion for doctors and rebuilding trust among patients; and communication process included issues related to telemedicine or video conferencing, challenges with diminished patient privacy, and distractions in the patient's home setting. Finally, the environment theme included insights into doctors' workload, isolation, and anxiety and how changes requiring increases in virtual consults iteratively altered confidence in care provision and communication with patients. Results of the scoping review provide important insights for strengthening virtual patient-doctor interactions, including target areas for training and professional development during and beyond the current pandemic.
Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is a microangiopathic thrombotic disease, which is classified into atypical, typical, and secondary types. Thrombocytopenia, acute kidney failure, and hemolysis are the main features of HUS regardless of its type. Infection with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli causes typical HUS, and gene mutations trigger atypical HUS, while secondary HUS is associated with bone marrow transplantation, autoimmunity, cancer, and other diseases. New insights into the pathogenesis of HUS have emerged over the past decades, suggesting an important role of the complement system in disease pathogenesis, which has been reinforced by the efficacy of plasma exchange and monoclonal antibodies in its treatment. In this review, we performed an updated review of HUS with a focus on understanding its pathogenesis.