The essential oils are fragrant products whose complex compositions are obtained from various parts of plants by dry or steam distillation. Plants with variable biological activities have been explored worldwide. The presence of a large number of phenols, terpenes and other aromatic compounds make essential oils more precise in their mode of action. Because of this, they are known to possess many biological activities like antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory etc. In this article, we will review the published literature summarizing the chemistry of essential oils and their important biological activities.
Aromatherapy ; Chemistry ; Distillation ; Oils, Volatile ; Phenol ; Phenols ; Steam ; Terpenes

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is an attenuated strain of Mycobacterium bovis. Although it was developed as a prophylactic vaccine against tuberculosis (TB), researchers have also evaluated it for preventing cancer development or progression. These studies were inspired by the available data regarding the protective effects of microbial infection against cancers and an inverse relationship between TB and cancer mortality. Initial studies demonstrated the efficacy of BCG in preventing leukemia, melanoma and a few other cancers. However, mixed results were observed in later studies. Importantly, these studies have led to the successful use of BCG in the tertiary prevention of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, wherein BCG therapy has been found to be more effective than chemotherapy. Moreover, in a recently published 60-year follow-up study, childhood BCG vaccination has been found to significantly prevent lung cancer development. In the present manuscript, we reviewed the studies evaluating the efficacy of BCG in cancer prevention and discussed its putative mechanisms. Also, we sought to explain the mixed results of BCG efficacy in preventing different cancers.

STUDY DESIGN: Case series. PURPOSE: To describe paraspinal transposition flap for coverage of sacral soft tissue defects. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Soft tissue defects in the sacral region pose a major challenge to the reconstructive surgeon. Goals of sacral wound reconstruction are to provide a durable skin and soft tissue cover adequate for even large sacral defects; minimize recurrence; and minimize donor site morbidity. Various musculocutaneous and fasciocutanous flaps have been described in the literature. METHODS: The flap was applied in 53 patients with sacral soft tissue defects of diverse etiology. Defects ranged in size from small (6 cmx5 cm) to extensive (21 cmx10 cm). The median age of the patients was 58 years (range, 16-78 years). RESULTS: There was no flap necrosis. Primary closure of donor sites was possible in all the cases. The median follow up of the patients was 33 months (range, 4-84 months). The aesthetic outcomes were acceptable. There has been no recurrence of pressure sores. CONCLUSIONS: The authors conclude that paraspinal transposition flap is suitable for reconstruction of large sacral soft tissue defects with minimum morbidity and excellent long term results.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Necrosis ; Pressure Ulcer ; Recurrence ; Sacrococcygeal Region ; Skin ; Tissue Donors ; Wounds and Injuries

Purpose: Uncertainty exists about whether early laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is an appropriate surgical treatment for acute calculous cholecystitis. This study aimed to compare early vs. late LC for acute calculous cholecystitis regarding intraoperative difficulty and postoperative outcomes. Methods: This was a prospective randomized study carried out between December 2015 and June 2017; 60 patients with acute calculous cholecystitis were divided into two groups (early and delayed groups), each comprising 30 patients. Thirty patients treated with LC within 3 to 5 days of arrival at the hospital were assigned to the early group. The other 30 patients were placed in the delayed group, first treated conservatively, and followed by LC 3 to 6 weeks later. Results: The conversion rates in both groups were 6.7% and 0%, respectively (p = 0.143). The operating time was 56.67 ± 11.70 minutes in the early group and 75.67 ± 20.52 minutes in the delayed group (p = 0.001), and both groups observed equal levels of postoperative complications. Early LC patients, on the other hand, required much fewer postoperative hospital stay (3.40 ± 1.99 vs. 6.27 ± 2.90 days, p = 0.006). Conclusion Considering shorter operative time and hospital stay without significant increase of open conversion rates, early LC might have benefits over late LC.

Blunt traumatic injuries to the superior gluteal artery are rare in clinic. A majority of injuries present as aneurysms following penetrating trauma, fracture pelvis or posterior dislocation of the hip joint. We reported a rare case of superior gluteal artery pseudoaneurysm following blunt trauma presenting as large expanding right gluteal hematoma without any bony injury. The gluteal hematoma was suspected clinically, confirmed by ultrasound and the arterial injury was diagnosed by CT angiography that revealed a large right gluteal hematoma with a focal contrast leakage forming a pseudoaneurysm within the hematoma. Pseudoaneurysm arose from the superior gluteal branch of right internal iliac artery, which was successfully angioembolized. The patient was discharged on day 4 of hospitalization with resolving gluteal hematoma. This report highlighted the importance of considering an arterial injury following blunt trauma to the buttocks with subsequent painful swelling. Acknowledgment of this rare injury pattern was necessary to facilitate rapid diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Aneurysm, False ; etiology ; Buttocks ; Hematoma ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; Humans ; Iliac Artery ; injuries ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Wounds, Nonpenetrating ; complications

Quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis was conducted in bread wheat for 14 important traits utilizing data from four different mapping populations involving different approaches of QTL analysis. Analysis for grain protein content (GPC) suggested that the major part of genetic variation for this trait is due to environmental interactions. In contrast, pre-harvest sprouting tolerance (PHST) was controlled mainly by main effect QTL (M-QTL) with very little genetic variation due to environmental interactions; a major QTL for PHST was detected on chromosome arm 3AL. For grain weight, one QTL each was detected on chromosome arms 1AS, 2BS and 7AS. QTL for 4 growth related traits taken together detected by different methods ranged from 37 to 40; nine QTL that were detected by single-locus as well as two-locus analyses were all M-QTL. Similarly, single-locus and two-locus QTL analyses for seven yield and yield contributing traits in two populations respectively allowed detection of 25 and 50 QTL by composite interval mapping (CIM), 16 and 25 QTL by multiple-trait composite interval mapping (MCIM) and 38 and 37 QTL by two-locus analyses. These studies should prove useful in QTL cloning and wheat improvement through marker aided selection.
Bread ; Chromosome Mapping ; Quantitative Trait Loci ; genetics ; Triticum ; genetics ; growth & development