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The liver is not only involved in metabolism and detoxification, but also participate in innate immune function and thus exposed to frequent target Thus, they are the frequent target of physical injury. Interestingly, liver has the unique ability to regenerate and completely recoup from most acute, non-iterative situation. However, multiple conditions, including viral hepatitis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, long term alcohol abuse and chronic use of medications can cause persistent injury in which regenerative capacity eventually becomes dysfunctional resulting in hepatic scaring and cirrhosis. Despite the recent therapeutic advances and significant development of modern medicine, hepatic diseases remain a health problem worldwide. Thus, the search for the new therapeutic agents to treat liver disease is still in demand. Many synthetic drugs have been demonstrated to be strong radical scavengers, but they are also carcinogenic and cause liver damage. Present day various hepatic problems are encountered with number of synthetic and plant based drugs. Nexavar (sorafenib) is a chemotherapeutic medication used to treat advanced renal cell carcinoma associated with several side effects. There are a few effective varieties of herbal preparation like Liv-52, silymarin and Stronger neomin phages (SNMC) against hepatic complications. Plants are the huge repository of bioactive secondary metabolites viz; phenol, flavonoid, alkaloid etc. In this review we will try to present exclusive study on phenolics with its mode of action mitigating liver associated complications. And also its future prospects as new drug lead.

Plants belonging to the subfamily Bombacoideae (family Malvaceae) consist of about 304 species, many of them having high economical and medicinal properties. In the past, this plant group was put under Bombacaceae; however, modern molecular and phytochemical findings supported the group as a subfamily of Malvaceae. A detailed search on the number of publications related to the Bombacoideae subfamily was carried out in databases like PubMed and Science Direct using various keywords. Most of the plants in the group are perennial tall trees usually with swollen tree trunks, brightly colored flowers, and large branches. Various plant parts ranging from leaves to seeds to stems of several species are also used as food and fibers in many countries. Members of Bombacoides are used as ornamentals and economic utilities, various plants are used in traditional medication systems for their anti-inflammatory, astringent, stimulant, antipyretic, microbial, analgesic, and diuretic effects. Several phytochemicals, both polar and non-polar compounds, have been detected in this plant group supporting evidence of their medicinal and nutritional uses. The present review provides comprehensive taxonomic, ethno-pharmacological, economic, food and phytochemical properties of the subfamily Bombacoideae.

Ruta chalepensis L. (Rutaceae), a perennial herb with wild and cultivated habitats, is well known for its traditional uses as an anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic agent, and in the treatment of rheumatism, nerve diseases, neuralgia, dropsy, convulsions and mental disorders. The antimicrobial activities of the crude extracts from the fruits, leaves, stem and roots of R. chalepensis were initially evaluated against two Gram-positive and two Gram-negative bacterial strains and a strain of the fungus Candida albicans. Phytochemical investigation afforded 19 compounds, including alkaloids, coumarins, flavonoid glycosides, a cinnamic acid derivative and a long-chain alkane. These compounds were tested against a panel of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains, i.e., ATCC 25923, SA-1199B, XU212, MRSA-274819 and EMRSA-15. The MIC values of the active compounds, chalepin (9), chalepensin (10), rutamarin (11), rutin 3′-methyl ether (14), rutin 7,4′-dimethyl ether (15), 6-hydroxy-rutin 3′,7-dimethyl ether (16) and arborinine (18) were in the range of 32–128 µg/mL against the tested MRSA strains. Compounds 10 and 16 were the most active compounds from R. chalepensis, and were active against four out of six tested MRSA strains, and in silico studies were performed on these compounds. The anti-MRSA activity of compound 16 was comparable to that of the positive control norfloxacin (MICs 32 vs 16 μg/mL, respectively) against the MRSA strain XU212, which is a Kuwaiti hospital isolate that possesses the TetK tetracycline efflux pump. This is the first report on the anti-MRSA property of compounds isolated from R. chalepensis and relevant in silico studies on the most active compounds.

Sustainability and climate change are the two major challenges to the agricultural production system. The trade-off between them is essential for higher profitability. The energy assessment is essential for judging the sustainability and vulnerability of a production system. Besides, nutrient management and weed management are equally imperative to sustainability. Thus, the present study was executed to assess the energy balance, key energy indicators and profitability of rice–maize–green gram system under different nutrient and weed management practices. Application of Brassicaceous seed meal (BSM) along with mineral fertilizer attributed the highest rice (5.62 t ha−1) and maize (6.48 t ha−1) yield which was 11.6%, 8.3% and 3.7% in maize and 10.0%, 6.2% and 8.7% in rice for the conjoint application with vermicompost, farmyard manure (FYM) and neem cake, respectively. Moreover, BSM recorded the highest net energy gain, energy use efficiency and energy efficiency ratio and the lowest specific energy in all the crops. Application of pre-emergence herbicides followed by hoeing was found to be best in all respects including yield, profitability, energy use efficiency, energy effectiveness, etc. The appropriate combination of integrated nutrient management with BSM and pre-emergence herbicide application followed by hoeing provided an additional advantage not only in terms of yield but also an efficient use of energy, profitability and environmental safety. BSM and neem cake could be the alternative organic manure in the integrated nutrient-cum-weed management module and they could be able to compensate the paucity of FYM and vermicompost in the country.

Increasing productivity of maize while decreasing production costs and maintaining soil health are emerging challenges for the rice–maize system in South Asia. A range of integrated nutrient and weed management practices were tested in winter maize for their effects on yield, profitability, and soil health. The nutrient management treatments were a partial substitution of nitrogen with bulky (Farmyard manure; vermicompost) and concentrated organic manures (Brassicaceous seed meal, BSM; neem cake), whereas weed management practices compared chemical controls only versus an integrated approach. The N supplementation through BSM diminished the weed growth by reducing weed N uptake, and enhanced the maize crop uptake of nutrients. As compared to the sole chemical approach, atrazine-applied pre-emergence followed by hoeing reduced weed density by 58 and 67% in years 1 and 2, respectively. The N supplementation through BSM resulted in the maximum yield of maize grain (6.13 and 6.50 t ha−1 in year 1 and year 2, respectively) and this treatment increased yield in year 2 compared to N application through synthetic fertilizer. Hoeing in conjugation with herbicide enhanced the maize grain yield by 9% over herbicide alone. The maximum net return and economic efficiency were achieved with the application of BSM for N supplementation, together with the integrated weed management practice.

The case of an 8-year-old boy is hereby reported, who presented with nail dystrophy, subungual hyperkeratosis, oral leukokeratosis, and numerous follicular papules all over the body. The features were consistent with a diagnosis of pachyonychia congenita type 1. The case is being reported for its rarity. We also discuss in a nutshell, the literature till date.

Background: Levosimendan a calcium ion sensitizer improves both systolic and diastolic functions. This novel lusitropic drug has predictable antiischemic properties which are mediated via the opening of mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium channels. This action of levosimendan is beneficial in cardiac surgical patients as it improves myocardial contractility, decreases systemic vascular resistance (SVR), and increases cardiac index (CI) and is thought to be cardioprotective. We decided to study whether levosimendan has any impact on the outcomes such as the duration of ventilation, the length of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stay, and the hospital stay when compared with the nitroglycerine (NTG), which is the current standard of care at our center. Materials and Methods: Forty-seven patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass surgery were randomly assigned to two groups receiving either levosimendan or NTG. The medications were started before starting surgery and continued until 24 h in the postoperative period. Baseline hemodynamic parameters were evaluated before beginning of the operation and then postoperatively at 3 different time intervals. N-terminal fragment of pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels were also measured in both groups. Results: In comparison to the NTG group, the duration of ventilation and length of ICU stay were significantly less in levosimendan group (P < 0.05, P = 0.02). NT-proBNP level analysis showed a slow rising pattern in both groups and a statistically significant rise in the levels was observed in NTG group (P = 0.03, P = 0.02) in postoperative period when compared to levosimendan group of patients. Conclusion: Levosimendan treatment in patients undergoing surgical revascularization resulted in improved CI, decreased SVR and lower heart rate. And, thereby the duration of ventilation and length of ICU stay were significantly less in this group of patients when compared with NTG group.

Brevundimonas has rarely been isolated from clinical specimens. We here report a case of Brevundimonas diminuta infection in an 18-year-old male patient with nephrotic syndrome. B. diminuta was identified by the VITEK 2 Compact system, following isolation from his blood sample. To the best of our knowledge, B. diminuta has not been reported in patients with nephrotic syndrome.

Declining rate of productivity and environmental sustainability is forcing growers to use organic manures as a source of nutrient supplement in maize farming. However, weed is a major constraint to maize production. A field study was carried out over two seasons to evaluate various integrated nutrient and weed management practices in hybrid maize. The treatment combinations comprised of supplementation of inorganic fertilizer (25% nitrogen) through bulky (Farmyard manure and vermicompost) and concentrated (Brassicaceous seed meal (BSM) and neem cake (NC)) organic manures and different mode of weed management practices like chemical (atrazine 1000 g ha−1) and integrated approach (atrazine 1000 g ha−1 followed by mechanical weeding). Repeated supplementation of nitrogen through concentrated organic manures reduced the density and biomass accumulation of most dominant weed species, Anagalis arvensis by releasing allelochemicals into the soil. But organic manures had no significant impact on restricting the growth of bold seeded weeds like Vicia hirsuta and weed propagated through tubers i.e., Cyperus rotundus in maize. By restricting the weed growth and nutrient removal by most dominating weeds, application of BSM enhanced the growth and yield of maize crop. Repeated addition of organic manures (BSM) enhanced the maize grain yield by 19% over sole chemical fertilizer in the second year of study. Application of atrazine as pre-emergence (PRE) herbicide significantly reduced the density of A. arvensis, whereas integration of mechanical weeding following herbicide controlled those weeds which were not usually controlled with the application of atrazine. As a result, atrazine at PRE followed by mechanical weeding produced the highest maize grain yield 6.81 and 7.10 t/ha in the first year and second year of study, respectively.

Calanolides are tetracyclic 4-substituted dipyranocoumarins. Calanolide A, isolated from the leaves and twigs of Calophyllum lanigerum var. austrocoriaceum (Whitmore) P. F. Stevens, is the first member of this group of compounds with anti-HIV-1 activity mediated by reverse transcriptase inhibition. Calanolides are classified pharmacologically as non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI). There are at least 15 naturally occurring calanolides distributed mainly within the genus Calophyllum, but some of them are also present in the genus Clausena. Besides significant anti-HIV properties, which have been exploited towards potential development of new NNRTIs for anti-HIV therapy, calanolides have also been found to possess anticancer, antimicrobial and antiparasitic potential. This review article provides a comprehensive update on all aspects of naturally occurring calanolides, including their chemistry, natural occurrence, biosynthesis, pharmacological and toxicological aspects including mechanism of action and structure activity relationships, pharmacokinetics, therapeutic potentials and available patents.

In this paper we introduce a new sequence space $bv(\hat{F})$ by using the Fibonacci band matrix $\hat{F}.$ We also establish a few inclusion relations concerning this space and determine its $\alpha-,\beta-,\gamma-$duals. Finally we characterize some matrix classes on the space $bv(\hat{F}).$

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0100554.].

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, characterized by malignant transformation of normal epidermal keratinocyte is the second most common nonmelanoma skin cancer that has many predisposing factors. Tuberous xanthomas have not yet been reported as a predisposing factor. We report here the case of long-standing tuberous xanthoma in a middle-aged gentleman complicated by cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, probably the first such report in the Indian literature.

Blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome (BRBNS) also called Bean′s syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by multiple cutaneous venous malformations in association with visceral lesions, most commonly affecting the gastrointestinal tract. We report here, a 21-year-old woman patient, who presented with unilateral, blaschkoid distribution of cutaneous venous malformations along with blue rubber bleb nevus and recurrent episodes of hematochezia due to vascular lesions in the sigmoid colon; likely to be a case of BRBNS. The unusual unilateral, blaschkoid distribution of BRBNS prompted this present report.

An 18-year-old girl presented with multiple itchy hyperpigmented papules and plaques, along with tense blisters over the lower limbs and buttocks for last 3 months. These papules, plaques, and bullae were mostly localized to preexisting scars. The histopathological findings from papule and bulla were consistent with lichen planus (LP) and bullous pemphigoid, respectively. Direct immunofluorescence (DIF) of perilesional skin around bulla showed linear deposition of IgG and C3. Considering clinical, histopathological and DIF findings, diagnosis of LP pemphigoides (LPP) was made. The preferential localization of LPP lesions over preexisting scars was a very interesting finding in our case an extremely rare instance of the isotopic phenomenon.

Background: Pityriasis rosea (PR) is an acute inflammatory dermatosis. The association of human herpes virus 6 and 7 suggests the utility of use of antiviral agents in this disease. Aims and Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acyclovir in the treatment of PR. Methods: An observer-blind, randomized (1:1), parallel group, add-on trial was conducted on 24 adult patients with PR. Subjects of both Group A and B received the standard of care in the form of cetirizine 10 mg OD and calamine. Group A in addition received acyclovir 400 mg tablets thrice daily for 7 days. Both groups were followed up for four consecutive weeks for assessment of effectiveness and adverse events. Results: Group A complained of significantly fewer new lesions than Group B (P = 0.046). A complete response was obtained in all patients of Group A and 83% patients of Group B at the end of the follow up period. There was significant reduction in both lesional score and pruritus at second week follow-up in Group A and third week follow-up in Group B (P < 0.05). Minor adverse effects were observed in both treatment arms. Conclusion: Acyclovir offered rapid resolution of clinical severity of PR from second week onwards without significantly increased adverse events as compared to supportive therapy alone.

Angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia (ALHE) is apparently benign, locally proliferating lesion composed of vascular channels with surrounding infiltrate of lymphocytes and eosinophils. We report two cases with long-standing papulonodular lesions on the left ear who presented to us on account of trauma-induced bleeding and cosmetic issues. Peripheral blood eosinophilia was present, and histological findings were consistent with a diagnosis of ALHE. The rarity of this disease in the pediatric age group prompted the present report.

Porokeratosis is a heterogeneous disorder of keratinization usually inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern. It usually affects the trunk and extremities. Lesions exclusively present over face are rare and not well-documented. We present a case of linear porokeratosis along the blaschkoid lines over the face in a 9-year-old girl.

A 10-year-old girl presented with a swelling on her left thigh that was associated with dripping of serous fluid from the lesion. Based on histological features of the excised tumor, a diagnosis of nodular hidradenoma was made. Atypical features including large size of the tumor, location on the lower limb, a weeping presentation, and histological finding of a nodular hidradenoma with an unusually large cystic cavity discharging fluid prompted us to report the case.

Linear rules have played an increasing role in structural proof theory in recent years. It has been observed that the set of all sound linear inference rules in Boolean logic is already coNP-complete, i.e. that every Boolean tautology can be written as a (left- and right-)linear rewrite rule. In this paper we study properties of systems consisting only of linear inferences. Our main result is that the length of any 'nontrivial' derivation in such a system is bound by a polynomial. As a consequence there is no polynomial-time decidable sound and complete system of linear inferences, unless coNP=NP. We draw tools and concepts from term rewriting, Boolean function theory and graph theory in order to access some required intermediate results. At the same time we make several connections between these areas that, to our knowledge, have not yet been presented and constitute a rich theoretical framework for reasoning about linear TRSs for Boolean logic.

Acanthosis nigricans (AN) is a fairly common dermatosis characterized by hyperpigmented velvety plaques, having a predilection for the intertriginous areas. We herein present a case of unilateral nevoid acanthosis nigricans over the left lateral chest, in an adult male. The rarity of documentation of this entity in the world literature prompted us to report the case.

Lithium at serum concentrations up to 1 mmol/L has been used in patients suffering from bipolar disorder for decades and has recently been shown to reduce the risk for ischemic stroke in these patients. The risk for stroke and thromboembolism depend not only on cerebral but also on general endothelial function and health; the entire endothelium as an organ is therefore pathophysiologically relevant. Regardless, the knowledge about the direct impact of lithium on endothelial function remains poor. We conducted an experimental study using lithium as pharmacologic pretreatment for murine, porcine and human vascular endothelium. We predominantly investigated endothelial vasorelaxation capacities in addition to human basal and dynamic (thrombin-/PAR-1 receptor agonist-impaired) barrier functioning including myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation (MLC-P). Low-dose therapeutic lithium concentrations (0.4 mmol/L) significantly augment the cholinergic endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation capacities of cerebral and thoracic arteries, independently of central and autonomic nerve system influences. Similar concentrations of lithium (0.2–0.4 mmol/L) significantly stabilized the dynamic thrombin-induced and PAR-1 receptor agonist-induced permeability of human endothelium, while even the basal permeability appeared to be stabilized. The lithium-attenuated dynamic permeability was mediated by a reduced endothelial MLC-P known to be followed by a lessening of endothelial cell contraction and paracellular gap formation. The well-known lithium-associated inhibition of inositol monophosphatase/glycogen synthase kinase-3-β signaling-pathways involving intracellular calcium concentrations in neurons seems to similarly occur in endothelial cells, too, but with different down-stream effects such as MLC-P reduction. This is the first study discovering low-dose lithium as a drug directly stabilizing human endothelium and ubiquitously augmenting cholinergic endothelium-mediated vasorelaxation. Our findings have translational and potentially clinical impact on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease associated with inflammation explaining why lithium can reduce, e.g., the risk for stroke. However, further clinical studies are warranted.

Quadricuspid aortic valve (QAV) is a rare congenital anomaly frequently associated with other anomalies particularly coronary anomalies. It may be detected on transthoracic or transesophageal echocardiography. We present here a case report of a 27-year-old male patient with a QAV, the valve being regurgitant and requiring aortic valve replacement. It has been reported as isolated case reports in the literature and various theories exist to the development of QAV. The diagnosis requires a high degree of suspicion and a detailed assessment, and if asymptomatic, then patients need to be carefully followed up for the development of aortic regurgitation.

The aim of this article is to establish the existence of the solution of non-linear functional integral equations x ( l , h ) = U ( l , h , x ( l , h ) ) + F l , h , ∫ 0 l ∫ 0 h P ( l , h , r , u , x ( r , u ) ) d r d u , x ( l , h ) × G l , h , ∫ 0 a ∫ 0 a Q l , h , r , u , x ( r , u ) d r d u , x ( l , h ) of two variables, which is of the form of two operators in the setting of Banach algebra C [ 0 , a ] × [ 0 , a ] , a > 0 . Our methodology relies upon the measure of noncompactness related to the fixed point hypothesis. We have used the measure of noncompactness on C [ 0 , a ] × [ 0 , a ] and a fixed point theorem, which is a generalization of Darbo’s fixed point theorem for the product of operators. We additionally illustrate our outcome with the help of an interesting example.

In this article, we propose some new fixed point theorem involving measure of noncompactness and control function. Further, we prove the existence of a solution of functional integral equations in two variables by using this fixed point theorem in Banach Algebra, and also illustrate the results with the help of an example.

Porokeratotic eccrine ostial and dermal duct nevus (PEODDN) is a rare nevoid condition characterized by asymptomatic grouped keratotic papules and plaques with a linear pattern on the extremities, having distinct porokeratotic histopathological features. The lesions usually present at birth or in childhood. We present here a case of late-onset PEODDN in a 23-year-old man who had lesions on the palm, forearm, arm and the chest along the lines of Blaschko, strictly localized to the left side of the body.

Colocalization of diseases in dermatology has always remained elusive and a puzzle, difficult to unscramble. Co-localization of two rare and disparate dermatoses has been reported on several occasions. Lichen planus (LP) has been described to colocalize with several dermatoses. We report here a case of LP hypertrophicus co-localizing with epidermoid cysts on the scrotum of a 35-year-old man for the unusual site and association.

Aim: Our aim of this study was to analyze the beneficial effects (if any) of music therapy in decreasing anxiety, providing stable haemodynamics and decreasing anaesthetic agent requirement in patients coming for modified radical mastectomy. Methods: Forty patients in the age group of 40 -50 years scheduled for modified radical mastectomy were selected for this prospective observational study. They were randomly assigned to Group M (receiving music therapy) and Group N (not receiving music therapy). Musical intervention was started one hour prior to surgery. The level of anxiety (score of 1 to 4, based on simplified version of state-trait anxiety inventory), pulse rate, MAP were recorded at 15 minutes interval up to one hour post surgery and compared with their baseline values. Results: With musical intervention, anxiety score declined to 2 in 80 % of cases at the time of induction and in Group N no such improvement was observed. Postoperatively, level of anxiety decreased in Group M was 100 % displaying a score of 1. Group M patients also displayed stable haemodynamics throughout the peri-operative period. However, in Group N, there was a significant increase in both pulse rate and MAP intra-operatively (p < 0.0001). The need for anaesthetic agent (isoflurane) was also more in the control group compared to Group M (p = 0.05 and 0.0250 at 15 minutes and 1 hour after incision respectively). Conclusion: Music therapy has the potential to be an alternative cheap and promising option to pharmacological premedication agents which needs to be looked in to.