Understanding Meniere’s Disease in the light of Ayurveda

Meniere’s Disease is an inner ear disease characterized by episodes of Vertigo, Fluctuating sensorineural hearing loss, Tinnitus and sensation of fullness of ear (aural fullness).  It may be associated with headache, nausea, drop attacks. Relapsing nature of the disease hampers the quality of life in patients. The highest prevalent age group is 30- 60 years of age. The main pathology occurs as the result of endolymphatic sac distension caused by excessive production or faulty absorption of endolymph or both. The exact cause is unknown the hypothesized etiological factors are vasomotor disturbances, excessive retention of water and sodium, allergy, auto immune, otosclerosis, otitis media etc. Acharya Sushruta has explained Karnarogas like Karnanaada, Karnakshweda, Badhirya which are nearer to Meniere’s disease when studied along with Bhrama. By knowing Doshic involvement we can incorporate the Chikitsa explained in the context of Urdhwajatru Vikaras like Nasya, Karnapoorana, Shirodhara etc. it is a Vata Pradhana Tridoshaja Vyadhi along with Rajo Dosha vitiation. Management can be done by adopting Shodhana Chikitsa like Snigdha Virechana, Tikshna Nasya which are helpful in combating Margavarodha and Vataprakopa, followed by Brimhana Nasya, Rasayana therapy along with Satwavajaya Chikitsa which helps to manage the anxiety induced by Vertigo

Encapsulation of Lornoxicam into spermaceti microspheres and comparative bioavailability study

In this study, Lornoxicam (LX) loaded spermaceti (SC) microspheres were prepared using meltable emulsified dispersion cooling induced solidification technique and the bioavailability of the marketed product (Flexispaz® capsule-reference-product A) was compared with the optimized formulation (lornoxicam loaded spermaceti microspheres–test–product B). Morphological studies of wax microspheres were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SEM images showed the spherical shape of wax microspheres and more than 97% of the isolated microspheres were in the size range 309-317 μm. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and stability studies showed that the drug after encapsulation with SC microspheres was stable and compatible. A single dose, randomized, complete cross over study of LX (8mg) microspheres were carried out on 10 healthy male and female Albino sheep’s under fasting conditions. Plasma LX concentrations and other pharmacokinetic parameters obtained were statistically analyzed. Based on this study, it can be concluded that drug loaded LX microspheres and Flexispaz® capsule are bioequivalent in term of the rate and extent of absorption.Key words: Lornoxicam; Wax microspheres; Release kinetics; Bioavailability; Bioequivalence

New Physics in Bs -> J/psi phi: a General Analysis

Recently, the CDF and D0 collaborations measured indirect CP violation in Bs -> J/psi phi and found a hint of a signal. If taken at face value, this can be interpreted as a nonzero phase of Bs-Bsbar mixing (beta_s), in disagreement with the standard model, which predicts that beta_s ~= 0. In this paper, we argue that this analysis may be incomplete. In particular, there can be new physics (NP) in the bbar -> sbar c cbar decay. If so, the value of beta_s is different than for the case in which NP is assumed to be present only in the mixing. We have examined several models of NP and found that, indeed, there can be significant contributions to the decay. These effects are consistent with measurements in B -> J/psi K* and Bd -> J/psi Ks. Due to the NP in the decay, polarization-dependent indirect CP asymmetries and triple-product asymmetries are predicted in Bs -> J/psi phi.Comment: 28 pages, JHEP, no figures. Considerable changes made. Abstract and main text of paper modified to alter presentation. Appendix added. References added. Conclusions unchanged

Encapsulation of Lornoxicam into spermaceti microspheres and comparative bioavailability study

In this study, Lornoxicam (LX) loaded spermaceti (SC) microspheres were prepared using meltable emulsified dispersion cooling induced solidification technique and the bioavailability of the marketed product (Flexispaz® capsule-reference-product A) was compared with the optimized formulation (lornoxicam loaded spermaceti microspheres–test–product B). Morphological studies of wax microspheres were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SEM images showed the spherical shape of wax microspheres and more than 97% of the isolated microspheres were in the size range 309-317 μm. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and stability studies showed that the drug after encapsulation with SC microspheres was stable and compatible. A single dose, randomized, complete cross over study of LX (8mg) microspheres were carried out on 10 healthy male and female Albino sheep’s under fasting conditions. Plasma LX concentrations and other pharmacokinetic parameters obtained were statistically analyzed. Based on this study, it can be concluded that drug loaded LX microspheres and Flexispaz® capsule are bioequivalent in term of the rate and extent of absorption.Key words: Lornoxicam; Wax microspheres; Release kinetics; Bioavailability; Bioequivalence

They were Saying that I was a ‘typical Chinese mum’: Chinese Parents’ Experiences of Parent-Teacher Partnerships for Their Autistic Children

Effective parent-teacher partnerships improve outcomes for autistic students. Yet, we know little about what effective partnerships look like for parents of autistic children from different backgrounds. We conducted interviews with 17 Chinese parents of autistic children attending Australian kindergartens/schools to understand their experiences. Parents appreciated the acceptance, opportunities and supports they received in Australia. They had high expectations of children; expectations not often shared by educators. Parents were respectful of teachers’ expertise and polite and undemanding in interactions. Nevertheless, parents were frustrated by inconsistent teaching quality and inadequate communication. Navigating systems was also challenging and parents faced discrimination from teachers and their community. Recommendations include fostering open home-school communication, proactively seeking parents’ expertise about children and explicitly scaffolding parents’ self-advocacy

Neutral Gauge Boson Contributions to the Dimuon Charge Asymmetry in B Decays

Recently, the D0 Collaboration measured the CP-violating like-sign dimuon charge asymmetry in neutral B decays, finding a 3.2sigma difference from the standard-model (SM) prediction. A non-SM charge asymmetry a_sl^s suggests a new-physics (NP) contribution to Bs-Bsbar mixing. In this case, in order to explain the measured value of a_sl^s within its 1sigma range, NP must be present in Gamma_12^s, the absorptive part of the mixing. In this paper, we examine whether such an explanation is possible in models with flavor-changing Z (ZFCNC) or Z' (Z'FCNC) gauge bosons. The models must also reproduce the measured values of the indirect CP asymmetry S_psi-phi in Bs -> J/psi phi, and Delta Gamma_s, the Bs-Bsbar width difference. We find that the ZFCNC model cannot reproduce the present measured values of S_psi-phi and a_sl^s within their 1sigma ranges. On the other hand, in the Z'FCNC model, the values of all three observables can be simultaneously reproduced.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures, JHEP format. Some ZFCNC equations corrected, ZFCNC analysis redone, references added, conclusions unchange

Spontaneous R-Parity Violation, A4A_4 Flavor Symmetry and Tribimaximal Mixing

We explore the possibility of spontaneous R parity violation in the context of $A_4$ flavor symmetry. Our model contains $SU(3)_c \times SU(2)_L \times U(1)_Y$ singlet matter chiral superfields which are arranged as triplet of $A_4$ and as well as few additional Higgs chiral superfields which are singlet under MSSM gauge group and belong to triplet and singlet representation under the $A_4$ flavor symmetry. R parity is broken spontaneously by the vacuum expectation values of the different sneutrino fields and hence we have neutrino-neutralino as well as neutrino-MSSM gauge singlet higgsino mixings in our model, in addition to the standard model neutrino- gauge singlet neutrino, gaugino-higgsino and higgsino-higgsino mixings. Because all of these mixings we have an extended neutral fermion mass matrix. We explore the low energy neutrino mass matrix for our model and point out that with some specific constraints between the sneutrino vacuum expectation values as well as the MSSM gauge singlet Higgs vacuum expectation values, the low energy neutrino mass matrix will lead to a tribimaximal mixing matrix. We also analyze the potential minimization for our model and show that one can realize a higher vacuum expectation value of the $SU(3)_c \times SU(2)_L \times U(1)_Y$ singlet sneutrino fields even when the other sneutrino vacuum expectation values are extremely small or even zero.Comment: 18 page

Radiative contribution to neutrino masses and mixing in μν\mu\nuSSM

In an extension of the minimal supersymmetric standard model (popularly known as the $\mu\nu$SSM), three right handed neutrino superfields are introduced to solve the $\mu$-problem and to accommodate the non-vanishing neutrino masses and mixing. Neutrino masses at the tree level are generated through $R-$parity violation and seesaw mechanism. We have analyzed the full effect of one-loop contributions to the neutrino mass matrix. We show that the current three flavour global neutrino data can be accommodated in the $\mu\nu$SSM, for both the tree level and one-loop corrected analyses. We find that it is relatively easier to accommodate the normal hierarchical mass pattern compared to the inverted hierarchical or quasi-degenerate case, when one-loop corrections are included.Comment: 51 pages, 14 figures (58 .eps files), expanded introduction, other minor changes, references adde

A fourth generation, anomalous like-sign dimuon charge asymmetry and the LHC

A fourth chiral generation, with $m_{t^\prime}$ in the range $\sim (300 - 500)$ GeV and a moderate value of the CP-violating phase can explain the anomalous like-sign dimuon charge asymmetry observed recently by the D0 collaboration. The required parameters are found to be consistent with constraints from other $B$ and $K$ decays. The presence of such quarks, apart from being detectable in the early stages of the LHC, would also have important consequences in the electroweak symmetry breaking sector.Comment: 18 pages, 9 figures, Figure 1 is modified, more discussions are added in section 2. new references adde