I read this book the same weekend that the Packers took on the Rams, and the experience of the latter event, obviously, colored my judgment. Although I abhor anything that smacks of being a handbook (like, \"How to Earn a Merit Badge in Neurosurgery\") because too many volumes in biomedical science already evince a boyscout-like approach, I must confess that parts of this volume are fast, scholarly, and significant, with certain reservations. I like parts of this well-illustrated book because Dr. Sj6strand, without so stating, develops certain subjects on technique in relation to the acquisition of judgment and sophistication. And this is important! So, given that the author (like all of us) is somewhat deficient in some areas, and biased in others, the book is still valuable if the uninitiated reader swallows it in a general fashion, realizing full well that what will be required from the reader is a modulation to fit his vision, propreception, adaptation and response, and the kind of problem he is undertaking. A major deficiency of this book is revealed by comparison of its use of physics and of chemistry to provide understanding and background for the application of high resolution electron microscopy to problems in biology. Since the volume is keyed to high resolution electron microscopy, which is a sophisticated form of structural analysis, but really morphology in a modern guise, the physical and mechanical background of The instrument and its ancillary tools are simply and well presented. The potential use of chemical or cytochemical information as it relates to biological fine structure , however, is quite deficient. I wonder when even sophisticated morphol-ogists will consider fixation a reaction and not a technique; only then will the fundamentals become self-evident and predictable and this sine qua flon will become less mystical. Staining reactions (the most inadequate chapter) ought to be something more than a technique to selectively enhance contrast of morphological elements; it ought to give the structural addresses of some of the chemical residents of cell components. Is it pertinent that auto-radiography gets singled out for more complete coverage than other significant aspects of cytochemistry by a high resolution microscopist, when it has a built-in minimal error of 1,000 A in standard practice? I don't mean to blind-side (in strict football terminology) Dr. Sj6strand's efforts for what is \"routinely used in our laboratory\"; what is done is usually well done. It's just that …

Methods in Enzymology.

OBJECTIVE\nTo determine the excess length of stay, extra costs, and mortality attributable to nosocomial bloodstream infection in critically ill patients.\n\n\nDESIGN\nPairwise-matched (1:1) case-control study.\n\n\nSETTING\nSurgical intensive care unit (SICU) in a tertiary health care institution.\n\n\nPATIENTS\nAll patients admitted in the SICU between July 1, 1988, and June 30, 1990, were eligible. Cases were defined as patients with nosocomial bloodstream infection; controls were selected according to matching variables in a stepwise fashion.\n\n\nMETHODS\nMatching variables were primary diagnosis for admission, age, sex, length of stay before the day of infection in cases, and total number of discharge diagnoses. Matching was successful for 89% of the cohort; 86 matched case-control pairs were studied.\n\n\nMAIN OUTCOME MEASURES\nCrude and attributable mortality, excess length of hospital and SICU stay, and overall costs.\n\n\nRESULTS\nNosocomial bloodstream infection complicated 2.67 per 100 admissions to the SICU during the study period. The crude mortality rates from cases and controls were 50% and 15%, respectively (P < .01); thus, the estimated attributable mortality rate was 35% (95% confidence interval, 25% to 45%). The median length of hospital stay significantly differed between cases and controls (40 vs 26 days, respectively; P < .01). When only matched pairs who survived bloodstream infection were considered (n = 41), cases stayed in the hospital a median of 54 days vs 30 days for controls (P < .01), and cases stayed in the SICU a median of 15 days vs 7 days for controls (P < .01). Thus, extra hospital and SICU length of stay attributable to bloodstream infection was 24 and 8 days, respectively. Extra costs attributable to the infection averaged $40,000 per survivor.\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nThe attributable mortality from nosocomial bloodstream infection is high in critically ill patients. The infection is associated with a doubling of the SICU stay, an excess length of hospital stay of 24 days in survivors, and a significant economic burden.

Nosocomial Bloodstream Infection in Critically Ill Adults: Excess Length of Stay, Extra Costs, and Attributable Mortality

IT may occasion some surprise to those men of science who are ill-acquainted with India, and who so frequently express the view that Governments are unappreciative of the importance of science to learn that as far back as 1886 the Government of India arranged for Dr. George (later Sir George) Watt, professor of botany in the Presidency College, Calcutta, to prepare a "Dictionary of the Economic Products of India". The six volumes of this standard work were published during the years 1889-99. In 1908 Sir George Watt published a condensed version, "The Commercial Products of India". Whatever the defects of these 'dictionaries', they have been of inestimable value to all interested in Indian natural products. The Wealth of India A Dictionary of Indian Raw Materials and Industrial Products. Raw Materials, Vol. 1. Pp. xxvii+254+39 plates. 15 rupees ; 24s. Industrial Products, Part 1. Pp. xii+182+8 plates. 8 rupees ; 12s. (New Delhi : Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, 1948.)

The Wealth of India

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous ∼23 nt RNAs that play important gene-regulatory roles in animals and plants by pairing to the mRNAs of protein-coding genes to direct their posttranscriptional repression. This review outlines the current understanding of miRNA target recognition in animals and discusses the widespread impact of miRNAs on both the expression and evolution of protein-coding genes.

MicroRNAs: Target Recognition and Regulatory Functions

Plants respond to insect herbivory with responses broadly known as direct defenses, indirect defenses, and tolerance. Direct defenses include all plant traits that affect susceptibility of host plants by themselves. Overall categories of direct plant defenses against insect herbivores include limiting food supply, reducing nutrient value, reducing preference, disrupting physical structures, and inhibiting chemical pathways of the attacking insect. Major known defense chemicals include plant secondary metabolites, protein inhibitors of insect digestive enzymes, proteases, lectins, amino acid deaminases and oxidases. Multiple factors with additive or even synergistic impact are usually involved in defense against a specific insect species, and factors of major importance to one insect species may only be of secondary importance or not effective at all against another insect species. Extensive qualitative and quantitative high throughput analyses of temporal and spatial variations in gene expression, protein level and activity, and metabolite concentration will accelerate not only the understanding of the overall mechanisms of direct defense, but also accelerate the identification of specific targets for enhancement of plant resistance for agriculture.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1744-7917.2008.00190.x

Inducible direct plant defense against insect herbivores: A review

Aqueous leaf extract of Ricinus communis L (Euphorbiaceae), a cultivated plant in tropical countries, showed excellent insecticidal activity against Callosobruchus chinensis L (Coleoptera: Bruchidae). We have isolated and tested flavonoids as insecticidal and antimicrobial agents. The isolated flavonoids showed potential insecticidal, ovicidal and oviposition deterrent activities against C chinensis L. However, antimicrobial activity against the common microbial infestants of stored pulses, of which C chinensis is a major pest, was found to be insignificant. Two bands having Rf 0.63 and 0.69 were seen on HPTLC plates using mobile phase benzene + ethyl acetate + methanol + formic acid (12 + 4.5 + 2 + 1.5 by volume) as eluant. The Rf values and scanning of the spectrum in the ultraviolet region, showed identity with the flavonoids quercetin and kaempferol. This was further confirmed using HPLC and IR and UV spectrometry. HPLC and HPTLC chromatograms also suggested quercetin to be the major flavonoid present in the hydrolyzed aqueous leaf extract of R communis.

Partial characterization and insecticidal properties of Ricinus communis L foliage flavonoids.

Efficacy of flavonoids in controlling Callosobruchus chinensis (L.) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae), a post-harvest pest of grain legumes

Foliar extracts of Annona squamosa (Family: Annonaceae) were screened for antimicrobial and insecticidal activity against the common microbial infestants of pulses and the stored grain pest pulse beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis (Coleoptera: Bruchidae). Flavonoids isolated from aqueous extracts of A squamosa showed antimicrobial activity against all the common microbial contaminants of pulses and 80% insecticidal activity against C chinensis at a concentration of 0.07 mg ml-1. Various physico-chemical tests, chromatographic and spectroscopic studies with partially purified aqueous extract indicated the presence of flavonol type flavonoids. This may provide a useful beginning for the development of botanical pesticides for post-harvest safeguard of pulses.

Antimicrobial and pesticidal activity of partially purified flavonoids of Annona squamosa.

The family Apocynaceae is one of the largest and important families in angiosperm. Several members of this family have medicinal properties and have been in the treatment of various ailments. Most of them are consumed as food by tribal people whereas a few plants are used as source of poison. Members of family Apocynaceae are rich in alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids, flavonoids, glycosides, simple phenols, lactones, and hydrocarbons. Other compounds such as sterols, lignans, sugars, lignans, and lactones have been isolated and systematically studied. Few studies have reported antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities of crude extracts as well as single compound(s) isolated from various members of the family Apocynaceae. Holarrhena antidysenterica, Rauvolfia serpentina, Carissa carandas, and Tabernaemontana divaricata are the extensively studied plants in this family. The present review provides a detailed outlook on ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, and biological activities of selected members of this family. Moreover, it also covers the biotechnological advances used for large-scale production of bioactive compounds of therapeutic interest along with plant tissue culture-based approaches for conservation of this medicinally valuable family.

Ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, and biotechnological advances of family Apocynaceae: A review.

Context: This study evaluated the in vitro and in vivo antidiarrheal activity, oral acute toxicological profile, and developed a chemical fingerprint of Berberis aristata Linn. (Berberidaceae).Materials and methods: The ethanol (by maceration) and aqueous (by Soxhlet) extracts of Berberis aristata bark were used for the study. The study involved the antimicrobial (minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) by micro dilution) and antidiarrheal (castor oil induced diarrhea, charcoal motility) tests. The active principle, berberine was characterized by different spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques.Results: The MIC and MBC (of both extracts) against all strains of Shigella were recorded between 125 to 500 µg/mL and 300 to 600 µg/mL, respectively. The MIC and MBC values of berberine are almost comparable to standard ciprofloxacin. UV and IR spectroscopy along with HPTLC and HPLC studies showed presence of berberine in the extracts. The onset of castor oil induc...

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.3109/13880209.2010.500295

Vijay L. Maheshwari

Papers

Partial characterization and insecticidal properties of Ricinus communis L foliage flavonoids.

Efficacy of flavonoids in controlling Callosobruchus chinensis (L.) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae), a post-harvest pest of grain legumes

Antimicrobial and pesticidal activity of partially purified flavonoids of Annona squamosa.

Ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, and biotechnological advances of family Apocynaceae: A review.

Antidiarrheal activity, chemical and toxicity profile of Berberis aristata.