India has a great wealth of various naturally occurring plant drugs which have great potential pharmacological activities. Datura stramonium (D. stramonium) is one of the widely well known folklore medicinal herbs. The troublesome weed, D. stramonium is a plant with both poisonous and medicinal properties and has been proven to have great pharmacological potential with a great utility and usage in folklore medicine. D. stromonium has been scientifically proven to contain alkaloids, tannins, carbohydrates and proteins. This plant has contributed various pharmacological actions in the scientific field of Indian systems of medicines like analgesic and antiasthmatic activities. The present paper presents an exclusive review work on the ethnomedical, phytochemical, pharmacological activities of this plant.

Objective Castor possesses the medicinal properties. Hence, castor extract has the reducing power agent was used in nanoparticles synthesis. Extract of castor also produces secondary metabolites (phenolics, reducing agent) and exhibits anti-oxidant property, which was used as larvicide and antimicrobial agent. In the present study the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using aqueous leaf extract of castor. Methods The synthesized AgNPs were characterized with UV-visible spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The phenolics, reducing sugar and total sugar were evaluated performing Folin-Ciocalteu reagent method, DNS method and Phenol-sulphuric acid method. Anti-oxidant activity of synthesized nanoparticles was evaluated using DPPH assay. The larvicidal activity of synthesized AgNPs was evaluated against the third instar of Anopheles stephensi and Aedes aegypti. The mortality was observed after 24 h by probit analysis. Further, the antimicrobial activity was reported against Staphylococcus aureus (Gram positive) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Gram negative). Results The UV spectra showed maximum absorbance at 445 nm and TEM analysis indicated spherical shape of nanoparticles with average size of 8.96 nm. The synthesized nanoparticles also possessed anti-oxidant potentials. Thus, it could be used as potential free radical scavenger. The larvae of A. stephensi were found more susceptible to AgNPs than larvae of A. aegypti. Conclusion Due to the medicinal properties and reducing power activity, in the present study AgNPs have been synthesized using the aqueous leaves extract of castor and access their phytochemical, anti-oxidant, larvicidal and antimicrobial properties.

India has a great wealth of various naturally occurring plant drugs which have great potential pharmacological activities. Datura stramonium (D. stramonium) is one of the widely well known folklore medicinal herbs. The troublesome weed, D. stramonium is a plant with both poisonous and medicinal properties and has been proven to have great pharmacological potential with a great utility and usage in folklore medicine. D. stromonium has been scientifically proven to contain alkaloids, tannins, carbohydrates and proteins. This plant has contributed various pharmacological actions in the scientific field of Indian systems of medicines like analgesic and antiasthmatic activities. The present paper presents an exclusive review work on the ethnomedical, phytochemical, pharmacological activities of this plant.
Anti-Asthmatic Agents ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Datura stramonium ; chemistry ; toxicity ; Ethnopharmacology ; Humans ; India ; Medicine, Traditional ; Phytotherapy ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; toxicity ; Trees ; chemistry ; toxicity

Background: The 21-item English version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) has been proposed as a method for assessing self-perceived depression, anxiety and stress over the past week in various clinical and nonclinical populations. Several Malay versions of the DASS-21 have been validated in various populations with varying success. One particular Malay version has been validated in various occupational groups (such as nurses and automotive workers) but not among male clinic outpatient attendees in Malaysia. Objective: To validate the Malay version of the DASS-21 (Malay-DASS-21) among male outpatient clinic attendees in Johor. Methods: A validation study with a random sample of 402 male respondents attending the outpatient clinic of a major public outpatient clinic in Johor Bahru and Segamat was carried out from January to March 2016. Construct validity of the Malay-DASS-21 was examined using Exploratory Factor Analysis (KMO = 0.947; Bartlett’s test of sphericity is significant, p<0.001) through Principal Component Analysis and orthogonal (varimax) rotation with Kaiser Normalization to confirm the psychometric properties of the Malay-DASS21 and the internal consistency reliability using Cronbach’s alpha. Results: Construct validity of the Malay-DASS-21 based on eigenvalues and factor loadings to confirm the three factor structure (depression, anxiety, and stress) was acceptable. The internal consistency reliability of the factor construct was very impressive with Cronbach’s alpha values in the range of 0.837 to 0.863. Conclusions: The present study showed that the MalayDASS-21 has acceptable psychometric construct and high internal consistency reliability to measure self-perceived depression, anxiety and stress over the past week in male outpatient clinic attendees in Johor. Further studies are necessary to revalidate the Malay-DASS-21 across different populations and cultures, and using confirmatory factor analyses.
Anxiety ; Depression

Background: There is a shortage of data on brain tumor patients admitted in to intensive care unit (ICU) from developing countries. We aimed to assess the clinical course and 30-day mortality with factors affecting the mortality of brain tumor patients who were admitted to medical ICU. Methods: This study was a single-centre retrospective observational cohort study and was conducted in a medical ICU of a tertiary care center in India. We included 42 patients admitted in to the medical oncology ICU over 3 years. Data regarding demographics, baseline characteristics, clinical and laboratory data, need for organ support, and 30-day mortality were collected. Factors associated with increased mortality in these patients were determined. Results: Overall 30-day mortality was 30.95%. The most common indication for ICU admission was altered sensorium (57.1%) followed by sepsis (23.8%). Age [odds ratio, OR: 0.843 (95% confidence interval, CI: 0.721–0.986)], and need for invasive mechanical ventilator (IMV) support [OR: 484.62 (95% CI: 2.707–8676.02)] or vasopressor support [OR: 523.83 (95% CI: 2.12– 3,023.13)] were directly associated with 30-day mortality. Severity indices such as Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, SAPS II (Simplified Acute Physiology Score II), and Acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II), APACHE III and APACHE IV scores were higher in non-survivors than survivors. Conclusion Advancing age and need for IMV or vasopressor support may be associated with worse prognosis in brain tumor patients admitted in to ICU. A scoring system could be used along with clinical judgement to triage brain tumor patients for ICU admission.

OBJECTIVES: There are only a limited number of studies on cyclin D1 and p63 expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and leukoplakia. This study compared cyclin D1 and p63 expression in leukoplakia and OSCC to investigate the possible correlation of both markers with grade of dysplasia and histological grade of OSCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included a total of 60 cases, of which 30 were diagnosed with OSCC and 30 with leukoplakia, that were evaluated immunohistochemically for p63 and cyclin D1 expression. Protein expression was correlated based on grades of dysplasia and OSCC. RESULTS: Out of 30 cases of OSCC, 23 cases (76.7%) were cyclin D1 positive and 30 cases (100%) were p63 positive. Out of 30 cases of leukoplakia, 21 cases (70.0%) were cyclin D1 positive and 30 (100%) were p63 positive (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The overall expression of cyclin D1 and p63 correlated with tumor differentiation, and increases were correlated with poor histological grades, from well-differentiated to poorly-differentiated SCC. Increased cyclin D1 and p63 expression was associated with the severity of leukoplakia. Based on these results cyclin D1 and p63 products can be a useful tool for improved leukoplakia prognosis.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Cyclin D1* ; Cyclins* ; Epithelial Cells* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Leukoplakia* ; Prognosis