The Surfaces of the Ceratonia siliqua L. (Carob) Leaflet: Insights from Physics and Chemistry.

The production of superhydrophobic coatings inspired by the surface of plant leaves is a challenging goal. Such coatings hold a bright technological future in niche markets of the aeronautical, space, naval, building, automobile, and biomedical sectors. This work is focused on the adaxial (top) and abaxial (bottom) surfaces of the leaflet of the Ceratonia silique L. (carob), a high-commercial-value Mediterranean tree cultivated in many regions of the world. The adaxial and abaxial surfaces feature hydrophobic and superhydrophobic behaviors, respectively. Their chemical composition is very simple: monopalmitin ester and palmitic acid are protuberant in the epicuticular and intracuticular wax layers of the adaxial surface, respectively, whereas 1-octacosanol dominates in the abaxial wax layers. In both surfaces, epicuticular wax is organized along a randomly oriented and intricate network of nanometer-thick and micrometer-long plates, whose density and degree of interconnection are significantly higher in the abaxial surface. The measured tilting angles for the abaxial surface (12-70°) reveal unusual variable density and water adhesion of the nanostructured plate-based texture. Optical measurements demonstrate that light reflectance/absorbance of the glaucous abaxial surface is significantly higher/lower than that of the nonglaucous adaxial surface. In both surfaces, diffuse reflectance is dominant, and the absorbance is weakly dependent on the light incidence angle. We show that the highly dense nanostructured platelike texture of the epicuticular abaxial layer of the C. siliqua leaflet works as a sophisticated light and water management system: it reflects solar radiation diffusely to lower the surface temperature, and it has superhydrophobic character to keep the surface dry. Such attributes enable efficient gas exchange (photosynthesis and respiration), transpiration, and evaporation. To mimic for the first time the abaxial surface, a templation approach was adopted using poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)/poly(methylphenylsiloxane) (PMPS) positive/negative replicas and a soft polymer/siloxane negative replica produced by the sol-gel process. Because high topographical variations of the biotemplate and wax adhesion to the biohybrid film affected the replication quality, the reproduction of the wax texture via the synthesis of 1-octacosanol-grafted siloxane-based hybrid materials is proposed as a suitable route to duplicate the abaxial surface with high fidelity. The natural chemical/physical strategy adopted by the C. siliqua leaflet to face the harsh Mediterranean climate is a powerful source of bioinspiration for the development of diffuse reflecting and superhydrophobic material systems with foreseen applications as dual-functional antiglare and water-repelling coatings.

Heptral (ademetionine) in patients with intrahepatic cholestasis in chronic liver disease due to non-alcoholic liver disease: results of a multicentre observational study in India.

The observational study was aimed at assessing the effectiveness and tolerability of Heptral (brand of ademetionine 1,4-butane disulfonate) in Indian patients presenting with intrahepatic cholestasis (IHC) due to chronic Non alcoholic liver disease (NALD). The study also aimed at understanding the prescribing practices of physicians as well as the profile of patients being prescribed Heptral. This Prospective observational study included 250 patients across 23 sites in India. The assessments of health-economic parameters, liver biochemistry, signs and symptoms of IHC (fatigue, jaundice, and pruritus) were performed at two visits, i.e., at baseline and after six weeks of Ademetionine treatment. Ademetionine was prescribed as part of the routine medical treatment as per the local label and not as a study intervention. Full analysis set (FAS) population included 244 patients. The mean age was 43.75 +/- 11.14 years and 75.5% (184/244) patients were males. 30.7% (75/244) of FAS population presented with cirrhosis. Concomitant medications were recommended to 44.4% (108/243) patients. Ademetionine treatment resulted in statistically significant reduction (p < 0.0001) in burden of disease parameters (number of days off work and number of visits to doctor), levels of biochemical markers and signs and symptoms of IHC. Physicians had favourable opinion for effectiveness and tolerability of Ademetionine for majority of the patients. Administration of Heptral in patients with NALD and IHC resulted in significant improvement in burden of disease, laboratory markers, signs and symptoms of cholestasis. The treatment was well tolerated.

An outbreak of human anthrax in Mysore (India).

Anthrax is a zoonotic disease caused by Bacillus anthracis. Intestinal anthrax though a rare entity mostly ends with fatal outcome. Very few cases of intestinal anthrax are reported. Present outbreak of intestinal anthrax is unique in itself that four cases succumbed to the illness within a span of 48-72 hours in a small hamlet of Mysore district of Karnataka, after consuming diseased deer meat. Confirmation of the diagnosis was carried out at NICD, Delhi by bacteriological culture isolation, biochemical tests, animal pathogenicity and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This outbreak clearly indicates surveillance of anthrax in animals in endemic areas is an essential part in the control of the disease with intersectoral coordination between the departments of health, animal husbandary, agriculture and forest.

Zolpidem tolerance and dependence--two case reports.

Two cases of zolpidem tolerance and dependence are reported. The literature is reviewed for other reported cases, and the potential for abuse of zolpidem is discussed.