Background: Patients with femur fracture experience severe post-operative pain. Fascia iliaca compartment block (FICB) is a safe and effective approach for providing post-operative analgesia.
Aims ...and Objectives: The aim of the study was to compare the post-operative pain relief with dexmedetomidine and dexamethasone with ropivacaine in FICB.
Materials and Methods: This prospective, double-blinded, randomized controlled, and clinical study was done on 105 patients, with ASA physical status I-II, aged between 18 and 70 years, undergoing surgery for femur fracture. Patients were randomly allocated into three groups. All patients received FICB by landmark technique before spinal anesthesia. Group A patients received 38 mL of 0.25% ropivacaine and dexmedetomidine, Group B received 38 mL of 0.25% ropivacaine and dexamethasone and Group C received 38 mL of 0.25% ropivacaine. Patients were assessed for analgesia during positioning and post-operative period using visual analog scale (VAS). Hemodynamic parameters and time for first rescue analgesia were recorded.
Results: The mean VAS score at 6 h after surgery was 0.74±0.95 in Group A, in Group B 2.26±0.95, and in Group C was 4.23±1.17, which was statistically significant (P<0.05). The time for first rescue analgesia was 13.03±1.79 h in Group-A, 8.31±1.11 h in Group B and 5.94±0.87 h in Group C (P<0.001).
Conclusion: Addition of dexmedetomidine or dexamethasone to ropivacaine for FICB in femur fracture patients prolongs post-operative analgesia compared to ropivacaine alone.
Dietary restriction (DR) extends healthy lifespan in diverse species. Age and nutrient-related changes in the abundance of microRNAs (miRNAs) and their processing factors have been linked to ...organismal longevity. However, the mechanisms by which they modulate lifespan and the tissue-specific role of miRNA-mediated networks in DR-dependent enhancement of lifespan remains largely unexplored. We show that two neuronally enriched and highly conserved microRNAs, miR-125 and let-7 mediate the DR response in Drosophila melanogaster. Functional characterization of miR-125 demonstrates its role in neurons while its target chinmo acts both in neurons and the fat body to modulate fat metabolism and longevity. Proteomic analysis revealed that Chinmo exerts its DR effects by regulating the expression of FATP, CG2017, CG9577, CG17554, CG5009, CG8778, CG9527, and FASN1. Our findings identify miR-125 as a conserved effector of the DR pathway and open the avenue for this small RNA molecule and its downstream effectors to be considered as potential drug candidates for the treatment of late-onset diseases and biomarkers for healthy aging in humans.
Key message
Among the 113 lipases present in rice genome, bran and endosperm-specific lipases were identified and lipase activity for one of the selected lipase gene is demonstrated in yeast.
Rice ...bran is nutritionally superior than endosperm as it has major reservoirs of various minerals, vitamins, essential mineral oils and other bioactive compounds, however it is often under-utilized as a food product due to bran instability after milling. Various hydrolytic enzymes, such as lipases, present in bran causes degradation of the lipids present and are responsible for the bran instability. Here, in this study, we have systematically analyzed the 113 lipase genes present in rice genome, and identified 21 seed-specific lipases. By analyzing the expression of these genes in different seed tissues during seed development, we have identified three bran-specific and three endosperm-specific lipases, and one lipase which expresses in both bran and endosperm tissues. Further analysis of these genes during seed maturation and seed germination revealed that their expression increases during seed maturation and decreases during seed germination. Finally, we have shown the lipase activity for one of the selected genes,
LOC_Os05g30900
, in heterologous system yeast. The bran-specific lipases identified in this study would be very valuable for engineering designer rice varieties having increased bran stability in post-milling.
Rice is a primary food and is one of the most important constituents of diets all around the world. Rice bran is a valuable component of rice, containing many oil-soluble vitamins, minerals, and oil. ...It is known for its ability to improve the economic value of rice. Further, it contains substantial quantities of minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and antioxidants like tocopherols, tocotrienols, and γ-oryzanol, indicating that rice bran can be utilized effectively against several life-threatening disorders. It is difficult to fully utilize the necessary nutrients due to the presence of lipases in rice bran. These lipases break down lipids, specifically Triacylglycerol, into free fatty acids and glycerol. This review discusses physicochemical properties, mechanism of action, distribution, and activity of lipases in various components of rice seeds. The phylogenetic and gene expression analysis helped to understand the differential expression pattern of lipase genes at different growth phases of rice plant. Further, this review discusses various genetic and biotechnological approaches to decrease lipase activity in rice and other plants, which could potentially prevent the degradation of bran oil. The goal is to establish whether lipases are a major contributor to this issue and to develop rice varieties with improved bran stability. This information sets the stage for upcoming molecular research in this area.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has attained a pandemic status and is associated with a high morbidity and mortality. Social isolation, fear of ostracization, and illness itself and limited ...access to care can lead to worsening of mental illnesses. We report a case from the United States describing a young male with a suicidal attempt who was subsequently found to have COVID-19 infection. Further research is needed to evaluate potential factors for this unique association.
Evaluation of nutritionally enhanced biofortified dietary interventions that increase lifespan may uncover cost-effective and sustainable approaches for treatment of age-related morbidities and ...increasing healthy life expectancy. In this study, we report that anthocyanin rich, high yielding crossbred blue wheat prolongs lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster in different dietary contexts. In addition to functioning as an antioxidant rich intervention, the biofortified blue wheat also works through modulating expression of DR pathway genes including AMPK alpha, SREBP, PEPCK and Cry. Supplementation with blue- or purple-colored wheat provided better protection against paraquat-induced oxidative stress than control diet and increased survivability of flies in which superoxide dismutase 2 was knocked down conditionally in adults. Lastly, our findings indicate that supplementing biofortified blue wheat formulated diet prevented the decrease in lifespan and cardiac structural pathologies associated with intake of high fat diet. Overall, our findings indicate that plant-based diets formulated with biofortified cereal crops promote healthy ageing and delay progression of diseases that are exacerbated by accumulation of oxidative damage.
•Biofortified wheat formulated diet prolongs Drosophila lifespan under ad libitum and dietary restriction.•Anthocyanin rich blue wheat formulated diet modulates expression of conserved effectors of dietary restriction pathway.•Anthocyanin rich blue wheat formulated diet enhances resistance to paraquat and hydrogen peroxide induced oxidative stress.•Biofortified blue wheat formulated diet prevents the adverse effects of high fat diet.
Heavy metal contamination of agricultural fields has become a global concern as it causes a direct impact on human health. Rice is the major food crop for almost half of the world population and is ...grown under diverse environmental conditions, including heavy metal‐contaminated soil. In recent years, the impact of heavy metal contamination on rice yield and grain quality has been shown through multiple approaches. In this review article, different aspects of heavy metal stress, that is uptake, transport, signaling and tolerance mechanisms, are comprehensively discussed with special emphasis on rice. For uptake, some of the transporters have specificity to one or two metal ions, whereas many other transporters are able to transport many different ions. After uptake, the intercellular signaling is mediated through different signaling pathways involving the regulation of various hormones, alteration of calcium levels, and the activation of mitogen‐activated protein kinases. Heavy metal stress signals from various intermediate molecules activate various transcription factors, which triggers the expression of various antioxidant enzymes. Activated antioxidant enzymes then scavenge various reactive oxygen species, which eventually leads to stress tolerance in plants. Non‐enzymatic antioxidants, such as ascorbate, metalloids, and even metal‐binding peptides (metallothionein and phytochelatin) can also help to reduce metal toxicity in plants. Genetic engineering has been successfully used in rice and many other crops to increase metal tolerance and reduce heavy metals accumulation. A comprehensive understanding of uptake, transport, signaling, and tolerance mechanisms will help to grow rice plants in agricultural fields with less heavy metal accumulation in grains.
Abstract only Introduction: With the approval of transcatheter mitral valve edge-edge repair (TEER) for secondary mitral regurgitation, there has been a significant increase in the volume of TEER. ...Prior investigators have explored gender differences in outcomes of Mitraclip (the only approved TEER) with mixed results. In this study, we systematically reviewed impact of gender on Mitraclip outcomes and performed a meta-analysis to examine short-term and long-term outcomes in women versus men. Hypothesis: Females undergoing TEER with Mitraclip will have higher mortality, major adverse events and less functional improvement compared to men. Methods: Pubmed, Google scholar, Cochrane database etc were searched through 31 May 2021 for published studies reporting outcomes with Mitraclip in women versus men. Meta-analysis was performed using comprehensive meta-analysis software using random effects model. Results: Ten studies (8 manuscripts and 2 abstracts) with total of 2924 males and 1816 females were analysed. The risk of death at discharge (p=0.71), at 30 days (p=0.32) and beyond 6-12 months (p=0.97) was similar. Acute procedural success (defined by mitral regurgitation grade ≤2 at 30 days), major adverse events at 1 month (p=0.064) and at 1 year (p= 0.98), risk of renal failure (p=0.15), stroke (p=0.71) and 1 year readmission rate (p=0.42) were all similar. Females received more blood transfusion than males (RR: 1.37, CI: 1.03-1.80, p=0.02). Prevalence of NYHA 3/4 class at 1 year post-procedure (RR: 1.36, CI: 1.19-1.56, p<0.01) and MLHFQ scores (RR: 1.91, CI: 1.47-2.48, p=0.01) were higher in females compared to males. Conclusions: Females have similar early and intermediate term mortality, major adverse events and rehospitalization rates compared to men following TEER with Mitraclip. However, females have less symptoms improvement as evidenced by greater frequency of NYHA class 3/4 symptoms and higher MLHFQ scores at 6-12 months after Mitraclip implantation compared to males.
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