An integrative ayurvedic approach in management of breast abscess - A case report.

A focus has been placed particularly on the description of breast abscesses (sthana vidradhi in Ayurveda terms). Breast inflammation known as mastitis has the potential to develop into a breastabscess in the future. The term "stana roga," refers to breast disorders and describes breast abscesses, is mentioned in the ancient works Sushruta Samhita, Madhava Nidana, and Bhavaprakasha. Breast abscesses are typically treated surgically by making an incision over the area of greatest fluctuation (or pain) and breaking the abscess septa with digits. For a few days, the abscess chamber is left untreated or gauze-packed, with dressing changes made as needed to facilitate wound granulation. The current report was aimed at management of the breast abscess through an integrated approach comprising surgical and medicinal intervetions as mentioned in Ayurveda classics. A 32-year-old female patient with pain and swelling in right breast was diagnosed with breast abscess in Shalya (Surgery) OPD and managed primarily by incision and drainage which was followed by regular dressing and ayurvedic medications which encouraged appreciable granulation in a short period of time with complete healing of the abscess. This case study presents the successful management of breast abscesses with both surgical & Ayurvedic management.

Therapeutic applications of canine platelets and their derivatives: a narrative review.

Platelets contain a multitude of growth factors and play a crucial role in physiological processes such as thrombogenesis, tissue repair, and angiogenesis. As a result, platelet-derived products have significant potential for efficient utilization in the realm of regenerative medicine due to their therapeutic and biological attributes. Numerous studies have already substantiated the therapeutic viability of platelets in various canine ailments. The existing literature indicates a substantial surge in the clinical application of canine platelets, positioning platelet-derived products as a viable alternative to conventional therapeutic agents. Platelet concentrates, including platelet-rich plasma and platelet-rich fibrin are commonly used as a therapeutic modality in clinical cases. These therapeutic derivatives exhibit effectiveness in tissue regeneration and can serve as complementary therapies. Notably, they offer a cost-effective and easily accessible therapeutic option, which has demonstrated its benefits in chronic inflammatory disorders such as osteoarthritis and tendinitis, ophthalmic conditions, wound healing, and mandibular injuries in canine patients. The broad spectrum of therapeutic effects displayed by platelets is providing researchers with novel perspectives for crafting therapeutic models in future investigations. This review centers on exploring the therapeutic potential of canine platelets across diverse disorders. Further exploration into platelet products, encompassing their preparation and applicability in canine medicine, is imperative. These inquiries hold the promise of unveiling fresh horizons for the domain of regenerative medicine.

Virtual reality and motor imagery for early post-stroke rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND: Motor impairment is a common consequence of stroke causing difficulty in independent movement. The first month of post-stroke rehabilitation is the most effective period for recovery. Movement imagination, known as motor imagery, in combination with virtual reality may provide a way for stroke patients with severe motor disabilities to begin rehabilitation. METHODS: The aim of this study is to verify whether motor imagery and virtual reality help to activate stroke patients' motor cortex. 16 acute/subacute (< 6 months) stroke patients participated in this study. All participants performed motor imagery of basketball shooting which involved the following tasks: listening to audio instruction only, watching a basketball shooting animation in 3D with audio, and also performing motor imagery afterwards. Electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded for analysis of motor-related features of the brain such as power spectral analysis in the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] frequency bands and spectral entropy. 18 EEG channels over the motor cortex were used for all stroke patients. RESULTS: All results are normalised relative to all tasks for each participant. The power spectral densities peak near the [Formula: see text] band for all participants and also the [Formula: see text] band for some participants. Tasks with instructions during motor imagery generally show greater power spectral peaks. The p-values of the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for band power comparison from the 18 EEG channels between different pairs of tasks show a 0.01 significance of rejecting the band powers being the same for most tasks done by stroke subjects. The motor cortex of most stroke patients is more active when virtual reality is involved during motor imagery as indicated by their respective scalp maps of band power and spectral entropy. CONCLUSION: The resulting activation of stroke patient's motor cortices in this study reveals evidence that it is induced by imagination of movement and virtual reality supports motor imagery. The framework of the current study also provides an efficient way to investigate motor imagery and virtual reality during post-stroke rehabilitation.

A Recent Review on Bio-availability Enhancement of Poorly Water-soluble Drugs by using Bioenhancer and Nanoparticulate Drug Delivery System.

BACKGROUND: Intravenous route of drug administration has maximum bioavailability, which shows 100% of the drug reaches blood circulation, whereas the oral administration of drugs, are readily undergoing pre-systemic metabolism, which means the poor bioavailability of the drug and limited amount of drug reaches the target site. INTRODUCTION: Bioenhancers are substances having medicinal entities which enhance the bioavailability and efficacy of the active constituents of drugs. The enhanced bioavailability of drugs may lead to dose reduction, which may further reduce the cost and undesired side effects associated with the drugs. METHODS: The solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) loaded with ketoprofen made from carnauba wax and beeswax. It was discovered that when the drug-loaded SLNs were mixed with egg-lecithin and Tween-80, as well as when the total surfactant concentration was increased, the average particle size of the drug-loaded SLNs decreased. RESULTS: The drug-loaded nanoparticles, when given in combination with bio-enhancers such as piperine and quercetin, enhanced the drug's effectiveness. The Area Under Curve (AUC) was increased when the drug was coupled with bio-enhancers. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that piperine and quercetin when used with drug-loaded nanoparticles improve their therapeutic effectiveness. CONCLUSION: Bioenhancers are crucial to amplifying the bioavailability of many synthetic drugs. These attributes are useful to reduce the dose of drugs and increase the therapeutic efficacy of drugs with poor bioavailability.

Assessing the antifungal and aflatoxin B1 inhibitory efficacy of nanoencapsulated antifungal formulation based on combination of Ocimum spp. essential oils.

The aim of the study was to explore the antifungal and aflatoxin B1 inhibitory efficacy of nanoencapsulated antifungal formulation. Mixture design response surface methodology (RSM) was utilized to design the antifungal formulation (SBC 4:1:1) based on the combination of chemically characterized Ocimum sanctum (S), O. basilicum (B), and O. canum (C) against Aspergillus flavus. The SBC was incorporated inside the chitosan nanomatrix (Ne-SBC) using an ultrasonic probe (40 kHz) and interactions were confirmed by SEM, FTIR and XRD analysis. The results showed that the Ne-SBC possessed enhanced antifungal and aflatoxin B1 inhibitory effect over the free form of SBC. The biochemical and in silico results indicate that the antifungal and aflatoxin B1 inhibitory effect was related to perturbance in the plasma membrane function (ergosterol biosynthesis and membrane cation) mitochondrial membrane potential, C-sources utilization, antioxidant defense system, and the targeted gene products Erg 28, cytochrome c oxidase subunit Va, and Nor-1. In-situ observation revealed that Ne-SBC effectively protects the Avena sativa seeds from A. flavus and AFB1 contamination and preserves its sensory profile. The findings suggest that the fabrication of SBC inside the chitosan nano-matrix has promising use in the food industries as an antifungal agent.

Managing central venous access during a health care crisis.

OBJECTIVE: During the COVID-19 pandemic, central venous access line teams were implemented at many hospitals throughout the world to provide access for critically ill patients. The objective of this study was to describe the structure, practice patterns, and outcomes of these vascular access teams during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional, self-reported study of central venous access line teams in hospitals afflicted with the COVID-19 pandemic. To participate in the study, hospitals were required to meet one of the following criteria: development of a formal plan for a central venous access line team during the pandemic; implementation of a central venous access line team during the pandemic; placement of central venous access by a designated practice group during the pandemic as part of routine clinical practice; or management of an iatrogenic complication related to central venous access in a patient with COVID-19. RESULTS: Participants from 60 hospitals in 13 countries contributed data to the study. Central venous line teams were most commonly composed of vascular surgery and general surgery attending physicians and trainees. Twenty sites had 2657 lines placed by their central venous access line team or designated practice group. During that time, there were 11 (0.4%) iatrogenic complications associated with central venous access procedures performed by the line team or group at those 20 sites. Triple lumen catheters, Cordis (Santa Clara, Calif) catheters, and nontunneled hemodialysis catheters were the most common types of central venous lines placed by the teams. Eight (14%) sites reported experience in placing central venous lines in prone, ventilated patients with COVID-19. A dedicated line cart was used by 35 (59%) of the hospitals. Less than 50% (24 [41%]) of the participating sites reported managing thrombosed central lines in COVID-19 patients. Twenty-three of the sites managed 48 iatrogenic complications in patients with COVID-19 (including complications caused by providers outside of the line team or designated practice group). CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of a dedicated central venous access line team during a pandemic or other health care crisis is a way by which physicians trained in central venous access can contribute their expertise to a stressed health care system. A line team composed of physicians with vascular skill sets provides relief to resource-constrained intensive care unit, ward, and emergency medicine teams with a low rate of iatrogenic complications relative to historical reports. We recommend that a plan for central venous access line team implementation be in place for future health care crises.

Elucidation of antifungal toxicity of Callistemon lanceolatus essential oil encapsulated in chitosan nanogel against Aspergillus flavus using biochemical and in-silico approaches.

The antifungal and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) inhibitory effect of chemically characterised Callistemon lanceolatus essential oil (CLEO), chitosan nanoparticles, and CLEO loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CLEO-ChNPs) were investigated. Scanning electron microscope observation exhibited the spherical shape of prepared CLEO-ChNPs with an average range of 20-70 nm. An in-vitro release study revealed the controlled volatilisation of CLEO from CLEO-ChNPs. The CLEO-ChNPs caused complete inhibition of growth (4.5 µl/ml) and AFB1 (4.0 µl/ml) production by A. flavus at a low dose compared to free CLEO (5.0 µl/ml). The antifungal and AFB1 inhibitory toxicity of CLEO-ChNPs were elucidated using biochemical (effect on ergosterol biosynthesis, membrane cations, mitochondrial membrane potential, C-sources utilisation and cellular methylglyoxal level) and in-silico (interaction with the gene product Erg 28, Cytochrome c oxidase subunit Va, Omt-A, Ver-1, and Nor-1) approaches.

Astaxanthin attenuates oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in complete Freund-adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats.

BACKGROUND: Astaxanthin (ATX), a natural xanthophyll carotenoid, has shown to exert significant protective effects against various diseases via its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, its potential role in arthritis is still not reported. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the potential anti-arthritic properties of ATX against complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced arthritis rats. METHODS: Adjuvant arthritis was induced by single intraplantar injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) in the left hind paw of adult female Wistar rats. ATX (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg) and indomethacin (5 mg/kg) were given orally from days 14 to 28. The anti-arthritic activity was evaluated through various nociceptive behavioral tests (mechanical allodynia, mechanical hyperalgesia, cold allodynia, and thermal hyperalgesia), paw edema assessment, and arthritis scores. Serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), C-reactive protein (CRP) and cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibody levels were assessed. Moreover, malondialdehyde (MDA), nitrite, glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) levels were also evaluated. RESULTS: Oral administration of ATX (50 and 100 mg/kg) exhibited significant anti-arthritic activity via enhancing the nociceptive threshold, reducing paw edema and improving arthritis scores. Moreover, ATX treatment also markedly suppressed inflammatory and oxidative mediators in adjuvant-administered rats. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that ATX possesses potential anti-arthritic activity, which could be attributed to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Encapsulation of Bunium persicum essential oil using chitosan nanopolymer: Preparation, characterization, antifungal assessment, and thermal stability.

The present study reports the antifungal, aflatoxin B1 inhibitory, and free radical scavenging activity of chitosan-based nanoencapsulatedBunium persicum Boiss. essential oil (Ne-BPEO). The chemical profile ofBPEO was identified through Gas chromatography mass spectrometry analysis where cuminaldehyde (21.23%), sabinene (14.66%), and γ-terpinen (12.49%) were identified as the major compounds. Ne-BPEO was prepared using chitosan and characterised by Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Atomic force microscope (AFM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) assay. Ne-BPEO completely inhibited the growth and aflatoxin B1 production at a concentration of 0.3 µL/mL. The antifungal and aflatoxin B1 inhibitory effects were related to decreasing in ergosterol content, leakage of membrane ions (Ca2+, K+, and Mg2+), impairment in carbohydrate catabolism, and functioning of ver-1 gene of A. flavus exposed to Ne-BPEO over the control. In addition, Ne-BPEO exhibited promising free radical scavenging activity through DPPH assay (IC50 12.64 µL/mL) with high thermo-stability. Therefore, chitosan could be used as a carrier agent of plant-based preservative to enhance the shelf-life of food products against A. flavus and aflatoxin B1 contamination.

Nanoencapsulated plant-based bioactive formulation against food-borne molds and aflatoxin B1 contamination: Preparation, characterization and stability evaluation in the food system.

A novel synergistic formulation (TML) based on the combination of thymol (T), methyl cinnamate (M), and linalool (L) has been prepared using the mixture design assay. Nanoencapsulation of developed formulation TML (Ne-TML) was prepared and characterised by SEM, XRD and FTIR. The Ne-TML was assessed for its antifungal and anti-aflatoxin B1 potential in vitro and in the food systems (Pennisetum glaucum L.), and also examined its effects on organoleptic properties. The Ne-TML cause complete inhibition of growth and AFB1 production at 0.3 µl/ml and 0.2 µl/ml. In-situ results revealed that Ne-TML exhibited maximum protection from fungal (75.40%) and aflatoxin B1 contamination (100%) at 0.3 µl/ml during six months of storage. The speculated antifungal mode of action of Ne-TML was related to the decrease in ergosterol content, membrane ions leakage, impairment in carbon-source utilization, mitochondrial functioning, anti-oxidative defence system (SOD, CAT, and GR) and Ver-1 gene of aflatoxin B1 biosynthesis.

CMOS-analogous wafer-scale nanotube-on-insulator approach for submicrometer devices and integrated circuits using aligned nanotubes.

Massive aligned carbon nanotubes hold great potential but also face significant integration/assembly challenges for future beyond-silicon nanoelectronics. We report a wafer-scale processing of aligned nanotube devices and integrated circuits, including progress on essential technological components such as wafer-scale synthesis of aligned nanotubes, wafer-scale transfer of nanotubes to silicon wafers, metallic nanotube removal and chemical doping, and defect-tolerant integrated nanotube circuits. We have achieved synthesis of massive aligned nanotubes on complete 4 in. quartz and sapphire substrates, which were then transferred to 4 in. Si/SiO(2) wafers. CMOS analogous fabrication was performed to yield transistors and circuits with features down to 0.5 mum, with high current density approximately 20 muA/mum and good on/off ratios. In addition, chemical doping has been used to build fully integrated complementary inverter with a gain approximately 5, and a defect-tolerant design has been employed for NAND and NOR gates. This full-wafer approach could serve as a critical foundation for future integrated nanotube circuits.

Inequity in health care delivery in India: the problem of rural medical practitioners.

A considerable section of the population in India accesses the services of individual private medical practitioners (PMPs) for primary level care. In rural areas, these providers include MBBS doctors, practitioners of alternative systems of medicine, herbalists, indigenous and folk practitioners, compounders and others. This paper describes the profile, knowledge and some practices of the rural doctor in India and then discusses the reasons for lack of equity in health care access in rural areas and possible solutions to the problem.