Migration and household adaptation in climate-sensitive hotspots in South Asia

This is the final version. Available from Springer Nature via the DOI in this record. Purpose of Review: South Asia is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, owing to the high dependency on climate-sensitive livelihoods and recurrent extreme events. Consequently, an increasing number of households are adopting labour migration as a livelihood strategy to diversify incomes, spread risks, and meet aspirations. Under the Collaborative Adaptation Research Initiative in Africa and Asia (CARIAA) initiative, four research consortia have investigated migration patterns and their inherent linkages to adaptation to climate change in climate hotspots. This article synthesizes key findings in regional context of South Asia. Recent Findings: The synthesis suggests that in climate-sensitive hotspots, migration is an important livelihood diversification strategy and a response to various risks, including climate change. Typically, one or more household members, often young men, migrated internally or internationally to work in predominantly informal sectors. Remittances helped spatially diversify household income, spread risks, and insure against external stressors. The outcomes of migration are often influenced by who moves, where to, and what capacities they possess. Summary: Migration was found to help improve household adaptive capacity, albeit in a limited capacity. Migration was mainly used as a response to risk and uncertainty, but with potential to have positive adaptation co-benefits.International Development Research Centr

The magic of magic bugs in oral cavity: Probiotics

The aim of this review is to present an update about the current status of probiotics in the field of dentistry. Oral infections are the most common forms of infections. It is necessary to understand the role of the ecology and microbiology of the oral cavity in better understanding of the pathogenesis of various oral diseases. The concept of bacteriotherapy has been an emerging field in dentistry. The use of health-beneficial micro-organisms to heal diseases or support immune function was first introduced in the beginning of the 20 th century. Probiotics are dietary supplements containing potentially beneficial bacteria or yeasts and it has been found to be beneficial to the host health. In medicine, probiotics are used mainly in support therapy for gastro-intestinal diseases. In recent years, probiotics have been used as a treatment to promote oral health. This approach has shown promising results in the oral cavity with respect to control of chronic diseases such as dental caries, periodontitis, and recurring problems such as halitosis and candidal infections. Despite the immense potential of probiotics, data are still deficient on the probiotic action in the oral cavity, which further mandates randomized trials before any concrete clinical recommendations can be arrived

Effect of Brahmyadi Churna (Brahmi, Shankhapushpi, Jatamansi, Jyotishmati, Vacha, Ashwagandha) and tablet Shilajatu in essential hypertension: An observational study

Hypertension (HTN) is one among the fiery health problems of the present era. Since it does not cause symptoms usually for many years until a vital organ is damaged. The present study was carried out on 40 patients of essential HTN with Brahmyadi Churna and tablet Shilajatu for a period of 1 month with milk as Anupana. Observation was done before the treatment, 3 mid test assessments on 7 th , 14 th , and 21 st day, posttest assessment was done on 30 th day. Intervention revealed that 19 had marked improvement, 14 had moderate improvement, 5 had mild improvement, and no improvement was noticed in 2 individuals. Reduction in blood pressure was observed markedly with P < 0.000

Propranolol-induced gingival hyperplasia with Nager syndrome: A rare adverse drug reaction

Drug reactions are a group of reactionary lesions generally show their manifestations in the oral cavity. The drug reactions may vary from local rashes to well-developed swellings in the oral cavity especially involving the gingiva. Most of the drug reactions are asymptomatic and commonly triggered from the active metabolite of a drug used for a long time. Nager syndrome is a group of acrofacial dysostosis that usually results in craniofacial and limb malformations. The craniofacial defects are very similar to the mandibulofacial dysostosis. A very early intervention is needed for the habilitation of the patient especially when it is concerned with speech and language development. This paper reports a case of a 32-year-old female with craniofacial, limb, and skeletal abnormalities along with a drug-induced gingival hyperplasia

A reverse phased high-pressure liquid chromatographic method for the estimation of a poisonous matter in Strychnos nux-vomica

Seeds of Strychnos nux-vomica were subjected to preliminary phytochemical tests and its presence was confirmed by thin layer chromatography (TLC) method. The TLC profile of the methanolic extract of seeds of S. nux-vomica was developed using the solvent system toluene:chloroform:methanol in the ratio 8:2:1. The plate was observed in visible light after spraying with Dragendorff′s reagent (specific method). High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) profile of the methanolic extracts of S. nux-vomica was developed, and the amount of strychnine seems to be 0.36% (w/w) in the seeds. The TLC and HPLC profiles developed are very valuable for the identification of the original drug from their adulterants. The TLC profile identifies the presence of strychnine in the plant material. The quantification method for the strychnine in the seeds can be used for the quality standardization of the raw drug because the strychnine is reported to have some toxicity

Effects of Phoenix dactylifera against Streptozotocin-Aluminium Chloride Induced Alzheimer’s Rats and Their In Silico Study

Phoenix dactylifera is known for medicinal importance due to its antioxidant, antidiabetic, antidepressant, and anti-inflammatory properties. This study is aimed at evaluating the effect of P. dactylifera seeds to cure Alzheimer’s disease (AD). AD was induced in the rats with streptozotocin + aluminium chloride followed by treatment of methanolic extract of P. dactylifera seeds. The blood glucose levels were determined at regular intervals, which showed a prominent decrease in the extracts treated group. Behavior tests, including the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) test and Morris Water Maze (MWM) test, were used to evaluate memory patterns in rats. The results indicated that extract-treated rats significantly improved memory behavior compared to the diseased group. After dissection, the serum electrolytes, antioxidant enzymes, and choline esterase enzymes were measured in different organs. The serum parameters creatinine, urea, and bilirubin increased after extract treatment. Similarly, the level of antioxidant enzymes like peroxidases (POD), glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) in the extract-treated group showed improved results that were close to the normal control group. The enzyme (lipase, insulin, amylase, and acetylcholine) levels were found enhanced in extract groups as compared to diseased rats. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to determine the level of dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitters, which were increased significantly for P. dactylifera seeds with values of 0.18 μg/mg tissue and 0.56 μg/mg tissue, respectively. Overall, results showed that P. dactylifera seeds proved to be quite efficient in improving the memory and behavior of treated rats. The antioxidants and enzymes were also increased; therefore, it may be a potential candidate for treating AD