Exploring the potency of Ayurveda in pandemic caused by COVID-19 on scientific parameters

Ayurveda is a time tested medical science of Indian subcontinent and being practiced with legal recognitions by the Government. The causative factors of existence of Ayurveda in Indian culture are its indicative positive lifestyle and its holistic therapeutic doctrine to treat a disease. In this pandemic of COVID, all most every citizen is looking for its preventive and curative measures. All leading health agencies are advocating that the innate immunity of an individual is a boon for the prevention of infection from coronavirus and helps in curative protocol effectively. Ayurvedic measures and medicines may be an answer to the global question “how to enhance immunity”. The leadership of India comprising administration and science are looking for scientific validation of claims of immunity boosting through Ayurvedic measures and medicines. Here is a need of robust research protocol to get the Ayurvedic measures and medicines in the terms of contemporary science as per the norms of CDSCO, ICMR and CSIR for medicine for the global acceptance of Ayurveda in service of ailing humanity due to different diseases and at present COVID-19

Clinico-microbiological analysis of bactibilia isolates in patients of cholecystectomy

Background: The current study determined microbial flora in bile aspirates from patients undergoing cholecystectomy along with antibiotic susceptibility pattern and resistance mechanism viz. extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL).Methods: The study included 110 such patients which were divided in three groups as: Group A that included acute cholecystitis with or without cholelithiasis, Group B included chronic cholecystitis with or without cholelithiasis and Group C included other hepatobiliary ailments requiring cholecystectomy viz. gallbladder carcinoma, acute emphysematous gall bladder and mucocele gall bladder. The bile was subjected to complete microbiological and histopathological examination. Antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates was performed as per CLSI guidelines.Results: Bacteria were recovered from 07 samples (20%) in Group A, 17 (48.57%) in Group B and 11 (31.43%) in Group C. The polymicrobial infection was seen in 04 (11.43%) patients. The most common organisms isolated were Escherichia coli 15 (38.46%), Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa 8 (20.51% each). The majority of Enterobacteriaceae isolates were susceptible to piperacillin-tazobactam and carbapenems. The ESBL production was observed in 17 (43.58%) isolates.Conclusions: Therefore, antimicrobial susceptibility of potential causative organisms, presence of resistant strains in bile, the severity of the cholecystitis, and the local susceptibility pattern must be taken into consideration while prescribing antibiotics. A protocol regarding the management of such cases should be formulated based on observations of similar studies.

High resolution ultra sound and color Doppler in evaluation of thyroid nodule with fine needle aspiration cytology correlation

Background: Thyroid gland is the first to develop in fetal life and is largest of all the endocrine glands. It is superficial in location which helps in its excellent visualization of normal anatomy and pathologic condition by high resolution real time grey scale sonography. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usage of grey scale ultrasound and color Doppler with FNAC correlation for differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodule.Methods: This prospective study was carried out on sixteen patients who came to our department from period of 1 February to  31 march 2016.Grey scale ultrasound of neck  and Doppler followed by USG guided FNAC of thyroid swelling was done.Results: Out of 16 cases, 3 were malignant, 10 were benign, and 3 were indeterminate. One case was diagnosed as benign lesion on sono which came out to be malignant on pathology as follicular carcinoma. The cases were presented as hypoechoic lesion with regular margins with peripheral and internal vascularity. Due to well defined margins it was diagnosed as benign adenoma but turned out to be malignant on pathology as follicular carcinoma. Colloid goiter was most common presentation on ultrasound and it showed wide spectrum of appearance, majority being nodular with anechoic echotexture.Conclusions: High resolution grey scale ultra sound with color Doppler has emerged as initial modality of choice for evaluating the patient with thyroid enlargement

Culture and Colonial Legacy: Evidence from Public Goods Games

We conduct a public goods game in three small towns in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Due to historical military conquest, until 1947 these towns were on (barely) opposite sides of a colonial border separating British India from the Princely States. Our research design offers a treatment comparison between the towns of (British) Kekri and (Princely) Sarwar, and a control comparison between (Princely) Sarwar and (Princely) Shahpura. We find no significant difference in contributions to home town groups, but a significant difference in contributions to mixed town groups. Participants in (British) Kekri are more co-operative (i.e., contribute more) in mixed town groups compared to those in (Princely) Sarwar. We find the differences are driven by individuals with family ties to the towns, and we find no differences in the control comparison. Our results highlight the enduring effects of colonial rule on social norms of co-operation

Characterization of Yashad Bhasma (Zinc calx) and establishment of the importance of Shodhan (purification)

Yashad bhasma (Zinc calx) is prepared through a series of pharmaceutical process namely shodhan (purification), jaran (polling), and maran (incineration). The careful investigation of bhasma at the end of each pharmaceutical process determines the completion and quality of the bhasma. The present study was planned to establish the importance of shodhan process by adopting the pharmaceutical process like shodhan, jaran, and maran with the characterization of yashad bhasma without shodhan, with only vishesh shodhan and with samanya as well as vishesh shodhan though the classical (bhasmapariksha) and contemporary (SEM, XRD and EDAX) parameters. Raw yashad tagged as 99.99% pure was purchased from the local market of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. It was divided into three batches. Batch 1 proceeded for jaran and maran, no shodhan was done. Batch 2 proceeded with vishesh shodhan, jaran and maran while batch 3 proceeded with samanya as well as vishesh shodhan followed by jaran and maran. Though all the batches passed the bhasma pariksha and established as ZnO, their characteristic appearance were different in terms of time, structure, particle size, composition, and concentration of ZnO. Samanya and vishesh shodhit yashad was best among the three as the long series of pharmaceutical processing were followed for batch 3 of yashad

Characterization of Yashad Bhasma (Zinc calx) and establishment of the importance of Shodhan (purification)

291-299Yashad bhasma (Zinc calx) is prepared through a series of pharmaceutical process namely shodhan (purification), jaran (polling), and maran (incineration). The careful investigation of bhasma at the end of each pharmaceutical process determines the completion and quality of the bhasma. The present study was planned to establish the importance of shodhan process by adopting the pharmaceutical process like shodhan, jaran, and maran with the characterization of yashad bhasma without shodhan, with only vishesh shodhan and with samanya as well as vishesh shodhan though the classical (bhasmapariksha) and contemporary (SEM, XRD and EDAX) parameters. Raw yashad tagged as 99.99% pure was purchased from the local market of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. It was divided into three batches. Batch 1 proceeded for jaran and maran, no shodhan was done. Batch 2 proceeded with vishesh shodhan, jaran and maran while batch 3 proceeded with samanya as well as vishesh shodhan followed by jaran and maran. Though all the batches passed the bhasma pariksha and established as ZnO, their characteristic appearance were different in terms of time, structure, particle size, composition, and concentration of ZnO. Samanya and vishesh shodhit yashad was best among the three as the long series of pharmaceutical processing were followed for batch 3 of yashad

Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Lactating Kiko Does and their Kids in Woodlands with Supplements

Gastrointestinal (GI) parasites pose a major health concern in goats raised in pastures. The study objective was to evaluate GI parasites’ prevalence in lactating Kiko does and kids stocked in woodlands with supplemental grazing or feedstuffs. Seventeen lactating Kiko does, and their thirty-three kids were divided into two groups. Group 1 was supplemented with grazing in silvopastures and Group 2 with ad libitum hay and corn (0.5% of metabolic weight) along with stocking in woodland plots rotationally. Fecal samples were analyzed for type and quantity of GI parasites from animals having FAMACHA score 3 and higher. Group-1 does showed a better FAMACHA score and lower parasite infestation vs. Group-2 does. However, kids in Group 1 had a higher infestation of helminth parasites, but lower coccidia counts. This study indicated that grazing quality pastures is a better option for supplementing lactating does stocked in woodlands vs. feedstuffs

Effect of silver nanoparticles on growth of eukaryotic green algae

Silver nanoparticles, endowed with powerful antimicrobial property, are the most widely used nanomaterial in consumer products, with associated risk of their easy access to environment and freshwater ecosystems by surface runoff. Although toxic effects of nanosilver on bacterial, fungal and mammalian cells have been documented, its impact on algal growth remains unknown. Pithophora oedogonia and Chara vulgaris are predominant members of photosynthetic eukaryotic algae, which form major component of global aquatic ecosystem. Here we report for the first time that nanosilver has significant adverse effects on growth and morphology of these filamentous green algae in a dose-dependent manner. Exposure of algal thalli to increasing concentrations of silver nanoparticles resulted in progressive depletion in algal chlorophyll content, chromosome instability and mitotic disturbance, associated with morphological malformations in algal filaments. SEM micrographs revealed dramatic alterations in cell wall in nanoparticle-treated algae, characterized with cell wall rupture and degradation in Pithophora. Although these observations underscore severe deleterious effects of nanosilver on aquatic environment, the information can also be exploited as a bioengineering strategy to control unwanted and persistent growth of noxious algal weeds that clog the municipal water supply and water channels and produce fouling of water bodies

Angular Lens

We propose a single phase-only optical element that transforms different orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes into localized spots at separated angular positions on a transverse plane. We refer to this element as an angular lens since it separates out OAM modes in a manner analogous to how a converging lens separates out transverse wave-vector modes at the focal plane. We also simulate the proposed angular lens using a spatial light modulator and experimentally demonstrate its working. Our work can have important implications for OAM-based classical and quantum communication applications

Carbon Nanotube–Purification and Sorting Protocols

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have shown extraordinary mechanical, thermal, electrical, and electronic properties. Electronic properties of CNT are very sensitive to its diameter and chirality, making it metallicor semiconducting, depending upon its chiral vector. The extraordinary properties of CNTs have led to demonstration of several applications but commercial realisation of these devices require consistent qualityof CNTs, and these should be  free of any impurity. For development of electronic devices, CNTs should notjust be pure but also of similar length, diameter, and electronic behaviour. Such demanding requirements need development of elaborate purification and sorting protocols. In this paper,  a brief review of the existing technologies and the research done is presented.Defence Science Journal, 2008, 58(5), pp.591-599, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dsj.58.169