EFFICACY OF PHALA-GHRITA ON FEMALE INFERTILITY

The present study was carried out to evaluate the role of Phalaghrita snehapana in the treatment of female infertility. 45 female patients in reproductive age group who were unable to conceive after one year of regular unprotected coitus were registered for the treatment. The patients of primary as well as secondary infertility were registered. The patients with any form of active infection or chronic diseases were excluded. The causes of infertility in patients were confirmed by clinical as well as investigation findings. The causes of infertility thus determined were tabulated. Menstrual irregularities were also tabulated. Phalaghrita was administered orally in the dose of 20 ml twice a day for 3 months continuously to all the patients. Out of the above 45 patients 3 left during the course of treatment. The effect of Phalaghrita administration on the causes of infertility as well as menstrual irregularities, after the completion of treatment was noted. The drug did not showed any significant effect on the causes of the infertility, but improved a single case of PCOD, percentage of relief was 12.50% and provided significant relief in disturbance of menstrual cycle, the percentage of relief was 23. 80%. The results of this study showed that 21.43% patients of this study conceived by the Phalaghrita snehapana. No significant complication or adverse effects of drug administration was noticed during the study

Validation and Improvement of High Nature Value Farmland Identification - National Approach in the Walloon Region in Belgium and in the Czech Republic

The concept of High Nature Value (HNV) farmland has been evolving over the last fifteen years in Europe. In the European Union this has been closely linked to the aim of integrating environmental concerns in the Common Agricultural Policy. The idea that nature values, environmental qualities, even cultural heritage are linked to or dependent on farming, also underlies and supports the concept of a multifunctional 'European model of farming which provides benefits beyond food production. The objective of this study is to better identify and characterise HNV farmland at national level (the Walloon Region in Belgium) with a Farm System Approach based on FSS statistical data and specific national surveys, taking into account the whole farm with the total agricultural area and its characteristics. The methodology is built on two different approaches: the natural zones approach and the farm system approach. The natural zones approach uses spatial data to define agricultural zones with a verified high biodiversity interest, based on a reference biodiversity layer for the Walloon Region (WR) called the principal ecological structure (SEP). The farm system approach analyses the farm structure and farming practices on the basis of data available in the WR agricultural database. In the first step relevant variables have been selected to calculate the HNV indicators for the farm system approach at NUTS 5 level: 1) crop diversity and grassland presence, 2) extensive practices, and 3) landscape elements. In the second step the three indicators were combined to calculate the HNV score. In the third step the areas delimited through the farm system approach were overlaid with a map resulting form the natural zones approach. In the last step HNV farmland was analysed with regard to prevailing trends in farming practices and production types with the aim of identification of farming systems which might be associated with HNV farmland occurrence in the WR in Belgium. The analysis of spatial distribution of HNV farmland delimited in the study shows that 91% of the HNV farm system zone identified in the study is located in Ardenne, Fagne and Fammenne. The dominant farming system types are grazing livestock system specialised in milk or meat production, depending on the region. The average livestock density is less than 2.0 LU/ha. Over 60% of UAA is used as permanent grassland. The strength of the Farm System Approach methodology is the possibility of producing a map at the NUTS 5 level with an accurate description of the farm systems. The methodology can be improved by crosschecking the results with regional experts and getting feedback on the thresholds and the weighting of the indicators. The weaknesses of the Farm System Approach methodology are mainly due to the way agricultural practices are modelled. The lack of comprehensive and reliable data on landscape elements and grassland management hampers further validation of HNV farmland identification results. A development of additional relevant surveys is therefore recommended. An attempt at assessing the applicability of the FSA for HNV farmland identification was undertaken for the Czech Republic. Statistical data on farming practices are still incomplete and insufficient to build the methodology similar to the Walloon Region FSA. Conversely, biodiversity and habitat data are abundant and of high quality and currently are the best datasets for HNV farmland identification in the Czech Republic.JRC.H.5-Rural, water and ecosystem resource

Molecular mechanisms of hypertension-induced heart failure : Experimental studies with special emphasis on local renin-angiotensin system, cardiac metabolism and levosimendan

Hypertension is a major risk factor for stroke, ischaemic heart disease, and the development of heart failure. Hypertension-induced heart failure is usually preceded by the development of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), which represents an adaptive and compensatory response to the increased cardiac workload. Biomechanical stress and neurohumoral activation are the most important triggers of pathologic hypertrophy and the transition of cardiac hypertrophy to heart failure. Non-clinical and clinical studies have also revealed derangements of energy metabolism in hypertensive heart failure. The goal of this study was to investigate in experimental models the molecular mechanisms and signalling pathways involved in hypertension-induced heart failure with special emphasis on local renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), cardiac metabolism, and calcium sensitizers, a novel class of inotropic agents used currently in the treatment of acute decompensated heart failure. Two different animal models of hypertensive heart failure were used in the present study, i.e. hypertensive and salt-sensitive Dahl/Rapp rats on a high salt diet (a salt-sensitive model of hypertensive heart failure) and double transgenic rats (dTGR) harboring human renin and human angiotensinogen genes (a transgenic model of hypertensive heart failure with increased local RAAS activity). The influence of angiotensin II (Ang II) on cardiac substrate utilization and cardiac metabolomic profile was investigated by using gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry to detect 247 intermediary metabolites. It was found that Ang II could alter cardiac metabolomics both in normotensive and hypertensive rats in an Ang II receptor type 1 (AT1)-dependent manner. A distinct substrate use from fatty acid oxidation towards glycolysis was found in dTGR. Altered cardiac substrate utilization in dTGR was associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Cardiac expression of the redox-sensitive metabolic sensor sirtuin1 (SIRT1) was increased in dTGR. Resveratrol supplementation prevented cardiovascular mortality and ameliorated Ang II-induced cardiac remodeling in dTGR via blood pressure-dependent pathways and mechanisms linked to increased mitochondrial biogenesis. Resveratrol dose-dependently increased SIRT1 activity in vitro. Oral levosimendan treatment was also found to improve survival and systolic function in dTGR via blood pressure-independent mechanisms, and ameliorate Ang II-induced coronary and cardiomyocyte damage. Finally, using Dahl/Rapp rats it was demonstrated that oral levosimendan as well as the AT1 receptor antagonist valsartan improved survival and prevented cardiac remodeling. The beneficial effects of levosimendan were associated with improved diastolic function without significantly improved systolic changes. These positive effects were potentiated when the drug combination was administered. In conclusion, the present study points to an important role for local RAAS in the pathophysiology of hypertension-induced heart failure as well as its involvement as a regulator of cardiac substrate utilization and mitochondrial function. Our findings suggest a therapeutic role for natural polyphenol resveratrol and calcium sensitizer, levosimendan, and the novel drug combination of valsartan and levosimendan, in prevention of hypertension-induced heart failure. The present study also provides a better understanding of the pathophysiology of hypertension-induced heart failure, and may help identify potential targets for novel therapeutic interventions.Verenpainetauti on huomattava riskitekijä sydän- ja verisuonitautikomplikaatioiden kehittymisessä. Lisääntyneestä painekuormasta sekä muuntuneista neurohumoraalisista mekanismeista aiheutuva sydänlaajentuma voi johtaa sydänlihaksen heikentyneeseen verenkiertoon, muuntuneeseen metaboliaan sekä krooniseen vajaatoimintaan. Tässä työssä tutkittiin verenpainetaudin aiheuttaman sydänlihasvaurion mekanismeja keskittyen sydämen metabolisiin muutoksiin, reniini-angiotensiini-aldosteronijärjestelmän aktivaatioon sekä akuutissa vajaatoiminnassa hoitona käytettyyn kalsiumherkistykseen. Tutkimuksissa käytettiin kahta vakavaa verenpainetautia mallintavaa rottakantaa: suolaherkkää Dahl/Rapp rottaa sekä siirtogeenistä dTGR rottaa joka ilmentää ihmisen reniini ja angiotensinogeeni -geenejä johtaen kohonneisiin angiotensiinipitoisuuksiin veressä ja kudoksissa. Kohonneet angiotensiini II -pitoisuudet aiheuttivat dTGR rotilla vakavan verenpainetaudin ja muuttivat sydämen energia-aineenvaihduntaa rasvahappoja käyttävästä glykolyysiä suosivaksi. Sydänlihaksen muuntuneeseen metaboliaan liittyi myös mitokondrioiden toimintahäiriö. Sydänlihassolujen suojamekanismeihin kuuluva histonideasetylaasi, SIRT1, aktivoitui angiotensiini II:n vaikutuksesta. Kasviperäinen polyfenoliyhdiste resveratroli vähensi verenpainetautiin liittyviä elinkomplikaatioita sekä kuolemia dTGR rotilla. Resveratrolin edullinen vaikutus oli seurausta sen verenpainetta laskevasta sekä mitokondriosynteesiä kiihdyttävästä mekanismista. Suun kautta annosteltu kalsiumherkistäjä levosimendaani esti pahanlaatuiseen verenpainetautiin liittyvää kuolleisuutta ja kohde-elinvaurioita verenpaineesta riippumattomilla mekanismeilla. Suolaherkkää verenpainetautia mallintavalla Dahl/Rapp rotalla kalsiumherkistäjä levosimendaani, samoin kuin angiotensiini II -reseptorisalpaaja valsartaani, vähensivät kuolleisuutta sekä estivät sydämen vajaatoimintaan ja korkeaan verenpaineeseen liittyvää sydänlihaksen uudelleenmuovautumista. Levosimendaanin hyödyllisiin vaikutuksiin liittyi diastolisen vajaatoiminnan huomattava paraneminen. Hyödyllisiä vaikutuksia saatiin lisättyä edellä mainittujen lääkehoitojen yhdistelmällä. Tässä tutkimuksessa selvitettiin reniini-angiotensiini-aldosteronijärjestelmän mekanismeja verenpainetaudin aiheuttamassa sydämen toiminnallisessa ja rakenteellisessa vauriossa samoin kuin sen vaikutusta sydänlihaksen energiametaboliaan. Nämä löydökset tukevat myös aikaisempia kokeellisia tutkimuksia joissa kasvisfenoli resveratrolin sekä kalsiumherkistäjä levosimendaanin on havaittu olevan hyödyllisiä erilaisissa sydän- ja verisuonisairauksissa

Evaluating Case Mapping as a Learning Tool for Problem-Based Learning in Medical Education

The problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum is the core learning modality for medical students at the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine. Students are first introduced to PBL in MD1 Health and Illness, where they are provided learning tools that complement PBL that solidify the concepts covered in this curriculum. Case mapping, one of the learning tools, is an active form of learning where students make decisions to construct a map that organizes information by grouping facts and concepts. This modality prevents linear focus by illustrating relationships between concepts through cross-links, utilizing higher order learning than rote memorization alone, and fosters self-directed learning. Case mapping has been found to be effective in promoting critical thinking that translates into clinical and diagnostic reasoning. Thus, our aim was to introduce case mapping as a supplementary learning tool to evaluate its utility and efficacy for medical students in a PBL curriculum. This study collected data from first year medical students (n=57) at the John A. Burns School of Medicine. Students received an instructional session on case mapping and its application to PBL. Following this, students were assigned to construct their own map on the pertinent concepts involving the differential for sore throat and Streptococcal pharyngitis. This assignment was followed by an anonymous, voluntary questionnaire inquiring about their opinions of the value and benefit of case mapping. The results showed that students found case mapping to be beneficial in finding correlations between clinical concepts and aided in the retention of biological and clinical learning issues. Students also reported that an electronic based unlimited whiteboard was conducive in the construction of a case map. In conclusion, case mapping is an effective learning tool that reinforced active learning that was beneficial in first year medical students introduced to a PBL curriculum. While students found case mapping to be an effective tool, responses demonstrated that more time was spent constructing case maps rather than focusing on content of the learning issues. However, with more exposure to the learning tool and unlimited whiteboard program, students could potentially overcome this learning curve associated with its initial use in medical education. While this study showed how case mapping can be used as a learning tool in the pre-clinical phase of medical education, there is potential to examine its utility in the clerkship phase as a method of organizing learning through patients

Low Input Farming Systems: an Opportunity to Develop Sustainable Agriculture - Proceedings of the JRC Summer University - Ranco, 2-5 July 2007

The concept of sustainability applied to agriculture developed mainly as a result of growing awareness of negative impacts of intensive farming systems on the environment and the quality of life of rural and neighbouring communities. Intensive farming systems are based on genetically uniform crops and livestock breeds, vulnerable to pests and diseases. High yields are obtained through dependency on external inputs (especially fossil energy, fertilizers and pesticides) which can cause decreased air, water, soil and food quality. Intensification and specialisation also bring about landscape changes, resulting in its homogenisation and destruction of traditional landscape elements and, consequently, loss of habitats. Marginal areas, on the other hand, are threatened with cessation of agricultural practices and land abandonment. All these factors also lead, directly or indirectly, to the loss of biodiversity. Lewandowski et al. defined in 1999 sustainable agriculture as ¿the management and utilization of the agricultural ecosystem in a way that maintains its biological diversity, productivity, regeneration capacity, vitality, and ability to function, so that it can fulfill ¿ today and in the future ¿ significant ecological, economic and social functions at the local, national and global levels and does not harm other ecosystems¿. The search for sustainability of agriculture inevitably leads to the exploration of the potential of Low Input Farming Systems (LIFS) to achieve this goal. Within this context, the European Commission Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability and SOLAGRO organized a Summer University ¿Low Input Farming Systems: an Opportunity to Develop Sustainable Agriculture¿ which took place on 2-5 July 2007 in Ranco (Italy). The programme of the Summer University has been drawn to reflect the diversity of Low Input Farming Systems in Europe and the complexity of factors currently impacting on European agriculture. This report contains the papers which were presented at the meeting as well as final conclusions, summarizing the main points of the discussions which suggested possible lines of future research and policy options which might support LIFS in EuropeJRC.H.5-Rural, water and ecosystem resource

Synthesizing the economist’s and the psychologist’s approaches to litter control for sustainable waste management

Littering has been a subject of inquiry by environmental economists, as well as social and environmental psychologists, each using a different theoretical and analytical toolkit. While economists see littering as an externality problem or a market failure, psychologists see it as a social behavior problem. Regardless of the discipline, both theories have a common goal: What factors affect littering behavior and how can it be curtailed? This paper, therefore, adopts theory-triangulation approach to review theories concerning littering. It concisely reviews the economist’s and the psychologist’s approaches to littering and their respective solutions. The finding from this review is that the psychological approaches to litter control are narrower in coverage than the economic approaches in that the former are applicable to smaller environmental settings or areas, such as school premises, office places, factories, and market places, as opposed to such lager settings as cities, states or the country at large to which economic instruments are usually applied. Despite the plethora of research extolling the virtues of economic approaches to litter control, their real-world application has not caught on. One of the factors responsible for this is the implementation costs and difficulty involved. The economic instruments are costlier than the psychological instruments, because the former cover a larger setting and entail a lot of bureaucracies. To better understand littering and find appropriate solutions to it, studies on littering should consider looking at littering holistically from this interdisciplinary perspective. Both the economist’s and the psychologist’s approaches to litter control should be synthesized for sustainable waste management. However, policymakers need to consider the available financial resources and the multifarious views of litter in policies relating to litter. An option for policymakers is to minimize those costs associated with implementing economic instruments

Follow-up monitoring in a cat with leishmaniosis and coinfections with Hepatozoon felis and ‘Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum’

Case summary A 6-year-old female neutered domestic shorthair cat from Cyprus was presented with multiple ulcerated skin nodules. Cytology and histopathology of the lesions revealed granulomatous dermatitis with intracytoplasmic organisms, consistent with amastigotes of Leishmania species. Biochemistry identified a mild hyperproteinaemia. Blood extraction and PCR detected Leishmania species, Hepatozoon species and ‘Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum’ (CMhm) DNA. Subsequent sequencing identified Hepatozoon felis. Additionally, the rRNA internal transcribed spacer 1 locus of Leishmania infantum was partially sequenced and phylogeny showed it to cluster with species derived from dogs in Italy and Uzbekistan, and a human in France. Allopurinol treatment was administered for 6 months. Clinical signs resolved in the second month of treatment with no deterioration 8 months post-treatment cessation. Quantitative PCR and ELISA were used to monitor L infantum blood DNA and antibody levels. The cat had high L infantum DNA levels pretreatment that gradually declined during treatment but increased 8 months post-treatment cessation. Similarly, ELISA revealed high levels of antibodies pretreatment, which gradually declined during treatment and increased slightly 8 months post-treatment cessation. The cat remained PCR positive for CMhm and Hepatozoon species throughout the study. There was no clinical evidence of relapse 24 months post-treatment. Relevance and novel information To our knowledge, this is the first clinical report of a cat with leishmaniosis with H felis and CMhm coinfections. The high L infantum DNA levels post-treatment cessation might indicate that although the lesions had resolved, prolonged or an alternative treatment could have been considere

An applicability test of the use of deposit-refund system for managing water-sachet litter in Ilorin, Nigeria

This study used both quasi-experiment and contingent valuation survey to explore the applicability of deposit-refund system (DRS) to water-sachet litter management in Nigeria. In the experiment, a DRS was established to incentivize the participants to return emptied sachets of water. A contingent valuation survey of 454 sachet-water consumers selected using quasi-systematic sampling technique was conducted. Experimental results showed that the number of sachets returned by the experimental group – those subjected to DRS – was significantly greater than that of the comparison group – those not subjected to DRS. Logit regression results showed that refund size increased the odds of returning sachets by 42.0%. Increasing the redemption time decreased the odds of turning in sachets by about 16.0%. A one-minute increase in the time spent on redemption would result in about 2.4% decrease in the probability that participants would comply. Income decreased the odds of compliance by about 31.0%, while age reduced the odds of compliance by about 2.2%. These results imply that the DRS reduced water-sachet littering in the study area, and that income, refund amount, redemption time, age and perceived effectiveness of DRS influenced consumers’ compliance with DRS. Hence, an appropriate motivating DRS would reduce litter and its attendant problems, such as hygiene, plastic pollution, flooding, aesthetic loss, non-naturally degradable toxic compounds, degradation of natural habitat ant its endangered species. The government should, therefore, implement a DRS and set up recycling plants, or encourage private recycling firms, in order to accommodate used sachets that would end up piling up

Identification of High Nature Value Farmland in France through Statistical Information and Farm Practices Surveys

The Concept of High Nature Value (HNV) farmland has been evolving over the last fifteen years in Europe. In the European Union this has been closely linked to the aim of integrating environmental concerns in the Common Agricultural Policy. The idea that nature values, environmental qualities, even cultural heritage are linked to or dependent on farming, also underlies and supports the concept of a multifunctional 'European model of farming' which provides benefits other than food. The 'High Nature Value farming' idea thus ties the preservation of biodiversity and wildlife value of the countryside to the need to safeguard the continuation of farming in certain areas with maintenance of specific farming systems associated to the long-term management of these areas. The work presented in the report aims at better identifying and characterising HNV farmland at national level (France) with a farm system approach based on FSS statistical data and specific national surveys, taking into account the whole farm with the total agricultural area and its characteristics. In a first step relevant variables have been selected to calculate the “crop diversity” indicator at NUTS 5. In a second step the crop diversity indicator has been combined overlaid with other data sets from other surveys (“Grassland” Survey and “Forestry” Survey) to build “the landscape elements” and “the extensive crops and grasslands” indicators. In a third step these three indicators have been weighted to calculate a final score and draw maps at municipality scale (NUTS 5).JRC.H.5-Rural, water and ecosystem resource