Antioxidant components of naturally-occurring oils exhibit marked anti-inflammatory activity in epithelial cells of the human upper respiratory system.

Background: The upper respiratory tract functions to protect lower respiratory structures from chemical and biological agents in inspired air. Cellular oxidative stress leading to acute and chronic inflammation contributes to the resultant pathology in many of these exposures and is typical of allergic disease, chronic sinusitis, pollutant exposure, and bacterial and viral infections. Little is known about the effective means by which topical treatment of the nose can strengthen its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory defenses.

Colon-targeted quercetin delivery using natural polymer to enhance its bioavailability.

The aim of the present study is to develop a polymer (Guar Gum)-based matrix tablet (using quercetin as a model drug) with sufficient mechanical strength, and promising in vitro mouth-to-colon release profile. By definition, an oral colonic delivery system should retard drug release in the stomach and small intestine, and allow complete release in the colon. By drug delivery to the colon would therefore ensure direct treatment at the disease site, lower dosing, and fewer systemic side effects.

Evaluation of mass and surface area concentration of particle emissions and development of emissions indices for cookstoves in rural India.

Mass-based dose parameters (for example, PM(2.5)) are most often used to characterize cookstove particulate matter emissions. Particle surface area deposition in the tracheobronchial (TB) and alveolar (A) regions of the human lung is also an important metric with respect to health effects, though very little research has investigated this dose parameter for cookstove emissions.

Elliptic flow of charged particles in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[S(NN)] = 2.76 TeV.

We report the first measurement of charged particle elliptic flow in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[S(NN)] =2.76 TeV with the ALICE detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The measurement is performed in the central pseudorapidity region (|η|<0.

Charged-particle multiplicity density at midrapidity in central Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[S(NN)] = 2.76 TeV.

The first measurement of the charged-particle multiplicity density at midrapidity in Pb-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair √ S NN = 2.76 TeV is presented. For an event sample corresponding to the most central 5% of the hadronic cross section, the pseudorapidity density of primary charged particles at midrapidity is 1584 ± 4(stat) ± 76(syst), which corresponds to 8.

Male meiosis, morphometric analysis and distribution pattern of 2× and 4× cytotypes of Ranunculus hirtellus Royle, 1834 (Ranunculaceae) from the cold regions of northwest Himalayas (India).

In this study, we examined the chromosome number, detailed male meiosis, microsporogenesis, pollen fertility and morphological features and distribution of 2× and 4× cytotypes of Ranunculus hirtellus Royle, 1834. The majority of the populations scored now from cold regions of the northwest Himalayas showed tetraploid (n=16) meiotic chromosome count and one of the populations studied from the Manimahesh hills existed at diploid level (n=8). The individuals of diploid cytotype exhibited perfectly normal meiotic course resulting in 100% pollen fertility and pollen grains of uniform sizes.

Midrapidity antiproton-to-proton ratio in pp collisons at sqrt[s]=0.9 and 7 TeV measured by the ALICE experiment.

The ratio of the yields of antiprotons to protons in pp collisions has been measured by the ALICE experiment at sqrt[s]=0.9 and 7 TeV during the initial running periods of the Large Hadron Collider. The measurement covers the transverse momentum interval 0.

Cervical rib with stroke as the initial presentation.

Cervical ribs rarely become symptomatic. Cerebral ischemia or infarct due to cervical rib is extremely rare and, invariably, these patients have a history of upper limb symptoms before presenting with stroke. We report a young boy with cervical rib who presented with stroke.

Is the modified Mallampati test performed in supine position a reliable predictor of difficult tracheal intubation?

Management of the airway is central to the practice of anesthesia. Several bedside airway assessment methods have been proposed for preoperative identification of patients who are difficult to intubate. The modified Mallampati test (MMT) remains a time-tested technique to date for recognizing an anticipated difficult tracheal intubation as assessed by Cormack-Lehane grade.

Psychosocial concerns in patients with advanced cancer: an observational study at regional cancer centre, India.

Introduction: The diagnosis and treatment of cancer is associated with substantial physical, psychological, and social morbidity. The objective of this study was to identify the prevalence of psychosocial concerns in the patients with advanced cancer admitted to our institute.

Materials And Methods: A total of 100 patients admitted to the inpatient palliative care unit of our institute were enrolled in this study.

Effects of pH and carbonate concentration on dissolution rates of the lead corrosion product PbO(2).

Lead(IV) oxide is a corrosion product that can develop on lead pipes and affect lead concentrations in drinking water. Continuously stirred flow-though reactors were used to quantify the dissolution rates of plattnerite (beta-PbO(2)) at different pH values and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations. Organic pH buffers were not used, because several were found to be reductants for PbO(2) that accelerated its dissolution.

Malaria-Infected Mice Are Cured by a Single Low Dose of a New Silylamide Trioxane Plus Mefloquine.

Three thermally and hydrolytically stable silylamide trioxanes have been prepared from the natural trioxane artemisinin in only five simple chemical steps and in at least 56% overall yield. Two of these new chemical entities completely cured malariainfected mice at a single oral dose of only 8 mg/kg combined with 24 mg/kg of mefloquine hydrochloride. The high efficacy of this ACT chemotherapy is considerably better than the efficacy using the popular trioxane drug artemether plus mefloquine hydrochloride.

Effect of posture on mouth opening and modified Mallampati classification for airway assessment.

Several bedside airway assessment methods have been proposed for preoperatively identifying patients who are difficult to intubate. To date, the Mallampati grading remains a time-tested technique for difficult airway assessment. Both Mallampati and the further modification by Samsoon and Young assessed patients in the seated position.

Hepatitis B in health care workers: Indian scenario.

Healthcare workers have a high risk of occupational exposure to many blood-borne diseases including HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C viral infections. Of these Hepatitis B is not only the most transmissible infection, but also the only one that is preventable by vaccination. In developing countries, Hepatitis B vaccination coverage among healthcare workers is very low for various reasons, including awareness, risk assessment, and low priority given by the health managements of both government and private hospitals.

Antimalarial Preclinical Drug Development: A Single Oral Dose of A 5-Carbon-linked Trioxane Dimer Plus Mefloquine Cures Malaria-Infected Mice.

Three new 5-carbon-linked trioxane dimer carboxylate esters have been prepared from the natural trioxane, artemisinin in only 3-steps and 40-50% overall yields. Each one of these new chemical entities is at least as efficacious as the clinically used trioxane antimalarial drug artemether when combined with mefloquine hydrochloride in a low single oral dose cure.

Impact of cytomixis on meiosis, pollen viability and pollen size in wild populations of Himalayan poppy (Meconopsis aculeata Royle).

We report the occurrence of cytomixis in wild populations of Himalayan poppy (Meconopsis aculeata Royle),which is considered to be an important and threatened medicinal plant growing in the high hills of the Himalayas. The impact of cytomixis on meiotic behaviour, reduced pollen viability and heterogeneous-sized pollen grains was also studied. Cytological studies in the seven wild populations from the high hills of Himachal Pradesh revealed that all the Himalayan populations exist uniformly at the tetraploid level (2n=56) on x=14.

Clinical review: treatment of pediatric obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.

Context: The efficacy of treatments for pediatric obesity remains unclear.

Objective: We performed a systematic review of randomized trials to estimate the efficacy of nonsurgical interventions for pediatric obesity.

Data Sources: Librarian-designed search strategies of nine electronic databases from inception until February 2006, review of reference lists from published reviews, and content expert advice provided potentially eligible studies.

Clinical review: behavioral interventions to prevent childhood obesity: a systematic review and metaanalyses of randomized trials.

Context: The efficacy of lifestyle interventions to encourage healthy lifestyle behaviors to prevent pediatric obesity remains unclear.

Objective: Our objective was to summarize evidence on the efficacy of interventions aimed at changing lifestyle behaviors (increased physical activity, decreased sedentary activity, increased healthy dietary habits, and decreased unhealthy dietary habits) to prevent obesity.

Data Sources: Data sources included librarian-designed searches of nine electronic databases, references from included studies and reviews (from inception until February 2006), and content expert recommendations.

Acute appendicitis: are we over diagnosing it?

Introduction: Appendicectomy is by far the commonest major emergency general surgical operation and laparoscopic appendicectomy is now becoming common. The question of whether a normal-looking appendix should be removed laparoscopically is more pertinent than ever before.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective study was undertaken to review the histopathology results and compare macroscopic with microscopic descriptions of all patients who underwent an appendicectomy, either by open surgery or laparoscopically, over a 1-year period from 1 September 2004 to 31 August 2005.

Evaluation and management of childhood and adolescent obesity.

The prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents has increased dramatically in the past 3 decades. Childhood and adolescent obesity are associated with serious comorbidities including type 2 diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. Most obese children and adolescents have no defined underlying endocrine or genetic syndrome.

Piperine inhibits TNF-alpha induced adhesion of neutrophils to endothelial monolayer through suppression of NF-kappaB and IkappaB kinase activation.

Piperine displays antipyretic, analgesic, insecticidal and anti-inflammatory activities. It is the first amide to be isolated from Piper species. In the process of identifying non-steroidal anti-inflammatory small molecules from the natural sources, we demonstrate here that piperine inhibits adhesion of neutrophils to endothelial monolayer.