Morphometric studies in the genus Clerodendrum L.

Six Clerodendrum L. species from Kolhapur district were morphometrically analyzed with the help of PCA, cluster analysis and CD. It was observed that the quantitative characters viz. petiole length, leaf length and leaf width have great significance in delimitation of all the species and corolla tube length, leaf width, gynoecium length and leaf length have great contribution in separation of the taxa. Clerodendrum multiflorum (Burm.f.) O. Ktze.- Clerodendrum inerme (L.) Gaertn., Clerodendrum paniculatum L. - Clerodendrum viscosum Vent. and Clerodendrum inerme (L.) Gaertn. - Clerodendrum serratum (L.) Moon. are very closely related with each other and Clerodendrum multiflorum (Burm.f.) O.Ktze.- Clerodendrum paniculatum L. and Clerodendrum multiflorum (Burm.f.) O. Ktze. - Clerodendrum viscosum Vent. are significantly different from each other

The morphology of lumbar sympathetic trunk in humans: a cadaveric study

The vasospastic diseases and chronic pain related to lower limb have been successfullytreated by surgical ablation of lumbar sympathetic trunk for last 80 years.Precise knowledge of anatomy of lumbar sympathetic trunk and its adjoiningstructures is mandatory for safe and uncomplicated lumbar and spinal surgeries.We aim to study the detailed anatomy of entry and exit of lumbar sympathetictrunk, the number, dimensions and location of lumbar ganglia in relation tolumbar vertebra. Thorough dissection was carried out in 30 formalin embalmedcadavers available in the Department of Anatomy, Pravara Institute of MedicalSciences (PIMS), Rural Medical College (RMC), Loni, Maharashtra. A total of238 ganglia were observed in 60 lumbar sympathetic trunks. The sympathetictrunk traversed dorsal to the crus of diaphragm in 72.6% and in 13.3% it entereddorsal to the medial arcuate ligament. The most common site of the location oflumbar ganglia was in relation to the second lumbar vertebra, sometimes extendingup to the L2–L3 vertebral disc. There was a medial shift of sympathetictrunk in lumbar region and it coursed over sacral promontory to reach the pelvicregion in 96% of specimens. These variations should be kept in mind in order toprevent hazardous complications like accidental avulsion of first lumbar gangliaand genitofemoral neuritis

FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF MULTIPURPOSE HERBAL CREAM

Objective: To formulate and evaluate herbal cream using Aloe Vera gel, dimethyl sulphoxide extracts of Neem (Azadirachta indica) and Tulsi (Ocimumtenuiflorum) to give multipurpose effect. Methods: The cream was prepared by using the cream base that is bee’s wax, liquid paraffin, borax, methylparaben, distilled water, rose oil, Aloe Vera gel, dimethyl sulphoxide extracts of Neem and Tulsi. The cream was prepared by using the slab technique/extemporaneous method for geometric and homogenous mixing of all the excipients and the herbal extracts. By using slab technique, we have developed three batches of our herbal cream, namely F1H, F2H, and F3H. All three batches were evaluated for different parameters like appearance, PH, viscosity, phase separation. Results: All the three formulations F1H, F2H, F3H showed good appearance, PH, adequate viscosity and no phase separation was observed. Also, the formulations F1H, F2H, F3H showed no redness, erythema and irritation during irritancy study and they were easily washable. All the three formulations F1H, F2H, F3H were stable at room temperature. Conclusion: All three herbal ingredients showed significant different activities. Based on the results, we can suggest that all the three formulations F1H, F2H, F3H were stable and can be safely used on the skin

A prospective cross-sectional study to evaluate the economic burden of patients diagnosed with depression in a tertiary care hospital

Background: The objective of the study was to evaluate the cost of care of depression in terms of direct and indirect costs.Methods: 150 patients diagnosed with depression attending psychiatry OPD at Sir J.J. Group of Hospitals, Mumbai, fulfilling the inclusion criteria were explained about the study. Written informed consent were taken. Direct and Indirect costs were recorded in structured case record forms by interviewing the patients. Cost driving factors were identified.Results: Total annual direct cost were INR 6,378.16 which included drug costs, travel expenses, physician’s consultation, cost of investigations, hospitalisation cost while total Indirect costs were INR 16,860 which included days of work both of the patient and the caretaker.Conclusions: The indirect cost was almost thrice the direct costs. Hospitalisation cost and loss of working days due to depression was contributed the most to the direct costs and indirect costs respectively. Economic burden of depression is found out to be 16.30% of per capita gross domestic product in year 2018-19

An Hybrid Approach for Identification of Breast Cancer using Mammogram Images

Breast Cancer (BC) is the first among the cancer deaths in women all over the world. Mammography is broadly perceived as the best imaging methodology for the early location of BC. Mammography examination reduced the BC death in spite of increasing number of noticed malignancies during the last decade. Although it is the best reliable method for early location, it has several limitations. One essential viewpoint is that the exactness rate tends to diminishing when doctors' examined high volume of mammograms. This work mainly concentrates on identifying regions containing small clusters of micro calcifications to categorize the tissue as being regular or irregular. Potentially cancerous tissue is distinguished from normal tissue by analyzing features of a given region within a mammogram. Therefore, feature extraction and saliency play an important role in cancer detection

Domestic violence against women: a crossectional study in rural area of Amravati district of Maharashtra, India

Background: Domestic violence against women is a matter of serious public health concern in most of the communities and culture. In India, the problem has been highlighted after legislation against domestic violence in 2005, popularly known as the protection of women from domestic violence act. Main objectives of the study were to assess the prevalence of domestic violence against women, to study the sociodemographic factors in females suffering from domestic violence and to identify causes of domestic violence in them.Methods: A crossectional study was carried in the field practice area of rural health training centre of Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Memorial Medical College, Nerpinglai in Amravati district of Maharashtra state for a period of 3 months. Simple random sampling method was used for the selection of samples. The study participants were interviewed using a predesigned pretested questionnaire. Proportion, Chi square test were calculated for the analysis of the study.Results: Out of 400 study participants interviewed, 161 (40.25%) reported some type of violence i.e. either in the form of physical, emotional or sexual violence in their life time or in recent past. The most common type of violence reported was physical violence. The most common cause of domestic violence reported in our study was financial problems followed by influence under alcohol.  Conclusions: The prevalence of domestic violence was 40.25% which is still high and necessary measures should be taken to strengthen the laws for women and to empower them

Bioactivity of plants gums against pathogenic fungi

In order to investigate the bioactivity of gum of selected plants  against the economically important fungi like Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus niger, Curvularia lunata, Curvularia pellescence, Fusarium equiseti, Fusarium oxysporum, Macrophomina phaseolina, Penicillium digitatum, Penicillium chrysogenum and Rhizopus stolonifer  the experiments were carried out by using different concentrations of plant gum i.e. 1%, 5%, 10%. Gum Acacia arabica was found to promote the growth of fungi like Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus niger as the function of concentration of gum. Whereas the growth of fungi like Curvularia lunata, Fusarium equiseti, Fusarium oxysporum, Macrophomina phaseolina, Penicillium digitatum and Penicillium chrysogenum, were found to be inhibited by the 1% gum of Acacia arabica. But on the contrary the concentration of gum increased to level of 5% and 10%, the increase in dry mycelium weight of these fungi were found. The Rhizopus stolonifer was found to be suppressed at 10% concentration. Gum of Acacia chundra was found to promote the growth of fungi like Macrophomina phaseolina and Penicillium chrysogenum with the increased concentration of gum. On the other hand the fungi like Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus niger, Curvularia lunata, Fusarium equiseti, Fusarium oxysporum and Rhizopus stolonifer were found to be inhibited at 1% concentration of gum. But at 5% concentration the fungi like Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus niger, Curvularia pellecence, Fusarium equiseti and Rhizopus stolonifer showed the increased in dry mycelial weight. At 10 % concentration all fungi except Curvularia pellecence and Penicillium digitatum showed increase in dry mycelium weight. Similarly, gum of Azadirechta indica, Boswellia serrata and Butea monosperma showed fungitoxic activity at variable concentrations

Storage mycoflora of oilseeds: a review

Present paper deals with the review of storage seed mycoflor

Galantamine Attenuates Type 1 Diabetes and Inhibits Anti-Insulin Antibodies in Non-Obese Diabetic Mice

Type 1 diabetes in mice is characterized by autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells. Disease pathogenesis involves invasion of pancreatic islets by immune cells, including macrophages and T cells, and production of antibodies to self-antigens, including insulin. Activation of the inflammatory reflex, the neural circuit that inhibits inflammation, culminates on cholinergic receptor signals on immune cells to attenuate cytokine release and inhibit B cell antibody production. Here, we show that galantamine, a centrally acting acetylcholinesterase inhibitor and an activator of the inflammatory reflex, attenuates murine experimental type 1 diabetes. Administration of galantamine to animals immunized with keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) significantly suppressed splenocyte release of immunoglobulin G (IgG), interleukin-4 and -6 (IL-4 and IL-6) during KLH-challenge ex vivo. Administration of galantamine beginning at one month of age in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice significantly delayed the onset of hyperglycemia, attenuated immune cell infiltration in pancreatic islets and decreased anti-insulin antibodies in serum. These observations indicate that galantamine attenuates experimental type 1 diabetes in mice and suggest that activation of the inflammatory reflex should be further studied as a potential therapeutic approach