Natural Feedstock in Catalysis: A Sustainable Route Towards Organic Transformations.

Catalysts are the jewel in the crown of the chemical industry, accelerating reaction kinetics and augmenting the efficiency of desired reaction paths. Natural feedstock is a renewable resource capable of providing valuable functional products; in addition, it confers an opportunity to create catalysts. As an alternative to stoichiometric reagents, and as a part of a sustainable approach, the implications of using natural feedstocks as a source of new catalysts has attracted considerable interest. Natural feedstock-derived catalysts can promote chemical transformations more efficiently. Recent reports have highlighted the significant role of these biogenic, cost-effective, innocuous, biodegradable materials as catalysts in many biologically and pharmacologically important protocols. This review outlines the decisive organic transformations for which feedstock-derived catalysts have been employed effectively and successfully, along with their economic and environmental benefits over traditional catalytic systems.

Clinical, Etiological, Anatomical, and Bacteriological Study of "Diabetic Foot" Patients: Results of a Single Center Study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the clinical pattern of foot-related complications in type 2 diabetes patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among indoor, adult type 2 diabetes patients with risk factors for diabetic foot complications. The diabetic neuropathy symptom score (DNSS), Doppler scanning, ankle brachial pressure index (ABPI) assessment, neuropathy assessment, neuropathic disability score (NDS), biothesiometry evaluation, and bacteriological examination was performed. Diabetic foot risk stratification was done using the NICE risk stratification system. Foot ulcer severity was assessed with the Lipsky severity grading system. RESULTS:  Ninety-one patients (mean age 59 years; male 65.9%) were included, of which 20 (22%) had a history of ulcer and 40 (44%) were smokers. Seventy-seven (83.5%) patients had a neuropathy symptom score between 4 and 9. Biothesiometry vibration perception threshold (VPT) was "severe" in 55 (60.4%) patients. Doppler assessment showed triphasic flow in 53 patients (58.2%). Out of 52 patients (57.1%) with neuropathy, 30 (57.7%) had a severe problem. Diabetic foot ulcer, cellulitis, and callus were present in 44 (48.3%), 29 (31.5%), and 11 (12.4%) patients, respectively. Foot ulcers were present on 21 (38%) metatarsal heads, 11 (20%) toes, 10 (18%) heels, 08 (15%) ankles, and 05 (09%) lateral foot borders. Of the 55 patients who underwent culture examination, 30 (33.3%) showed the presence of Staphylococcus aureus. As per NICE risk stratification, 55 patients (60%) were at "very high risk." CONCLUSION: A foot ulcer is the commonest complication in diabetic patients followed by cellulitis. Standardized simple noninvasive testing methods should be used to identify patients at risk for the diabetic foot. Multidisciplinary diabetic foot care could be useful to prevent diabetes-related amputation of the lower extremities.

Intramedullary rod and cement static spacer construct in chronically infected total knee arthroplasty.

Two-stage reimplantation, with interval antibiotic-impregnated cement spacer, is the preferred treatment of prosthetic knee joint infections. In medically compromised hosts with prior failed surgeries, the outcomes are poor. Articulating spacers in such patients render the knee unstable; static spacers have risks of dislocation and extensor mechanism injury. We examined 58 infected total knee arthroplasties with extensive bone and soft tissue loss, treated with resection arthroplasty and intramedullary tibiofemoral rod and antibiotic-laden cement spacer. Thirty-seven patients underwent delayed reimplantation. Most patients (83.8%) were free from recurrent infection at mean follow-up of 29.4 months. Reinfection occurred in 16.2%, which required debridement. Twenty-one patients with poor operative risks remained with the spacer for 11.4 months. All patients, during spacer phase, had brace-free ambulation with simulated tibiofemoral fusion, without bone loss or loss of limb length.

Clinical and radiological outcomes of axial lumbar interbody fusion.

Axial lumbar interbody fusion is a novel percutaneous alternative to common open techniques, such as anterior, posterior, and transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion. This minimally invasive technique uses the presacral space to access the L5-S1 and L4-L5 disk space. The goal of this study was to examine outcomes following axial lumbar interbody fusion. The charts of all patients who underwent axial lumbar interbody fusion surgery at our institution between 2006 and 2008 were reviewed. Clinical outcomes included visual analog scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Radiographs were also evaluated for disk space height, L4-L5 and/or L5-S1 Cobb angle, and fusion. Of the 50 patients (32 women, 18 men; mean age, 49.29 years) treated with axial lumbar interbody fusion, 48 had preoperative VAS scores and 16 had preoperative ODI scores available. Complete radiographic data were available at the preoperative, initial postoperative, and final postoperative time points for 46 patients (92%). At last follow-up (average, 12 months), ODI scores were reduced from 46 to 22, and VAS scores were lowered from 8.1 to 3.6. Of the 49 patients with postoperative radiographs, 47 (96%) went on to a solid fusion. There were no significant differences between pre- and postoperative disk space height and lumbar lordosis angle. The most common complications were superficial infection and pseudoarthrosis. Other complications were rectal injury, hematoma, and irritation of a nerve root by a screw. Overall, we found the axial lumbar interbody fusion procedure in combination with pedicle screw placement to have good clinical and radiological outcomes.

Inhibitory effects of phaseolotoxin on proliferation of leukemia cells HL-60, K-562 and L1210 and pancreatic cells RIN-m5F.

Phaseolotoxin (PT) is a non-host specific phytotoxin produced by the plant pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae (P.s.) pv. phaseolicola. In the present study, the inhibitory effect of PT on the proliferation of leukemia cells was studied. After 4 days of treatment, PT decreased cell growth of leukemia cell lines HL-60, K-562 and L1210 in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, PT also reduced cell growth of the insulinoma pancreatic cell line RIN-m5F. IC50 values were 2.1 +/- 1.0 microM (HL-60), 13.3 +/- 3.7 microM (K-562), 2.5 +/- 0.4 microM (L1210) and 5.5 +/- 0.3 microM (RIN-m5F). Although the exact mechanism by which PT inhibits cell growth in these cells is currently not known, we present first evidence that PT may in part be active via inhibition of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). Based on our findings, PT presents a lead compound with potential for further development into a new anti-cancer agent.