AYURVEDIC CONCEPT OF LEUCORRHOEA: SWETA PRADARA

Gynecology is the medical practice dealing with the health of the female reproductive system literally means the science of women. Woman has a unique existence in the universe created by the God. Womens health is the pivot not only for the healthy and happy status for her family, rather to the whole society or even to the nation at large. All women have experienced some short of vaginal discharge in her life span. White vaginal discharges along with the other symptoms like feeling of weakness, pain in the back and calves, loss of vital fluids, pruritis on and around the vulva, thighs and thigh joints etc., comes under the heading of Leucorrhoea, which is described as Sweta Pradara in Ayurvedic classics. In Samhitas all gynecological disorders comes under the headings of Yonivyapada. No any description of Sweta Pradara has been described by scholars of Brihatrayee. For abnormal white vaginal discharges, the word Sweta Pradara has been described in texts during and after medieval period

Assessment of Indoor & Outdoor Black Carbon Emissions Rural Areas of Indo-Gangetic Plain: Seasonal Characteristics, Source Apportionment and Radiative Forcing

Black Carbon (BC) has been widely recognized as the second largest source of territorial and global climate change as well as a threat to human health. There has been serious concern of BC emission and its impact in Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) due to the use of biomass and fossil fuels for cooking, transportation and industrial activities. An attempt has been made to study indoor (Liquefied Petroleum Gas- LPG & Traditional cookstoves users households) and outdoor concentrations; seasonal characteristics; radiative forcing and source of apportionment of BC in three districts (Sitapur, Patna and Murshidabad) of IGP during January to December 2016. The seasonal concentrations of BC in LPG (traditional cookstoves) users households were 3.79 ± 0.77 μgm−3 (25.36 ± 5.01 μgm−3) during the winter; 2.62 ± 0.60 μgm−3(16.36 ± 3.68 μgm−3) during the pre-monsoon; 2.02 ± 0.355 μgm−3(8.92 ± 1.98 μgm−3) during the monsoon and 2.19 ± 0.47 μgm−3(15.17 ± 3.31 μgm−3) during the post-monsoon seasons. However, the outdoor BC concentrations were 24.20 ± 4.46, 19.80 ± 4.34, 8.87 ± 1.83, and 9.14 ± 1.84 μgm−3 during winter, pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons respectively. The negative radiative forcing (RF) at the surface suggests a cooling effect while a warming effect appears to be occurring at the top of the atmosphere. The atmospheric forcing of BC and aerosols also show a net warming effect in the selected study areas. The analysis of BC concentrations and fire episodes indicated that the emissions from biomass burning increases the pollution concentration. The backward trajectory analysis through the HYSPLIT model also suggests an additional source of pollutants during winter and pre-monsoon seasons from the northwest and northern region in the IGP

Analytical Review for Competitiveness of LGBI Airport Guwahati in Terms of Aircraft and Passenger Movement for Long-Term Viability

Purpose: This paper aims to analyze the profitability and future viability of LGBI Airport Guwahati in terms of sources of revenue from traffic & non-traffic modes by identifying the factors that influence the traffic (aeronautical) revenue and non-tariff (non aeronautical) revenue.   Theoretical Framework: The study followed economical concepts related to traffic and non-traffic assets that exist on an airport. The theoretical framework reveals the revenue model. It is essential to declare the profitability and competitiveness of an Airport whether operating under single till approach or Dual till approach or hybrid one.   Design/Methodology/Approach:  The systematic literature review is based on an exploratory research design following a quantitative study, from a list of 12-15 research and review papers relevant to the purpose of the study. The data extraction from the sorted literature is done through linear regression using SPSS software.   Research, Practical & Social Implication: Certain initiatives may directly influence Non-Aero income. Except for significant airports like DIAL, MIAL, BIAL, and HIAL, the ratio of traffic to non-traffic income at Indian airports is 25/75.Also the implications drawn from this study would help the airport managers to develop innovative strategies to improve the revenues via both, traffic and non-traffic modes.   Findings: The researcher used Factor analysis, Linear regression and Principal component analysis. The analysis identified negative and positive factors that affect tariff and non-tariff revenues separately.Regression analysis revealed significant determinants that have influence on the profitability..Using the results, managing the variables to maximize total income and controlling variables may increase income.   Originality/Value: This academic article is a research work highlighting the comprehensive revenue sources in the LGBI airport, Guwahati.

Novel Attitude Estimation Of Strapdown Inertial Navigation Systems With Singular Value Decomposition Technique

Davenport’s q method & the Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) method are the two vigorous estimators that reduces Wahba’s loss function. In these, the q method is slightly quicker due to its computation of optimum quaternion as an eigenvector of a symmetric 4x4 matrix through the prevalent eigenvalue. The ESOQ and ESOQ2 (EStimators of the Optimal Quaternion) and the QUEST (QUaternion ESTimator) algorithms are less determined as the extreme eigenvalue’s distinguishing polynomial equation is solved by them. These estimators are apt to track the undulations of the sea with equivalent precision and accurateness. The SVD method is chosen and shown to be the most robust of all the hostile methods for the orientation of SDINS (Strap-Down Inertial Navigation Systems) using rate matching observations at sea in this paper. SVD is known most robust decomposition of all the decompositions of a matrix. SVD based attitude estimation being a batch technique would suffer from much less computational issues

DRUG TOXICITY (AUSHADHA VYAPATA) IN AYURVEDA

In Ayurvedic view Aushadha Vyapata means the complications of a drug or any extra actions of the drug / medicine in human body except the intended action. This can be correlated with the adverse drug reactions of the modern pharmacology which includes the side effects, untoward effects, toxic effects and idiosyncratic effects. Many questions are now being raised by the scientific and non-scientific community worldwide regarding the documentation of safety and efficacy of Ayurvedic Medicines. A couple of studies done in USA have raised very serious questions in this regards. Now a day the concept of pharmacovigilance has been started by WHO to monitor ADR (adverse drug reaction), report and record. Ancient Ayurvedic scholars were very much aware about the drug toxicity and keeping it in the mind they have described Aushadha vyapata in their classics elaborately which reflect their concern about untoward effect of Ayurvedic drugs

Comparative efficacy of agomelatine versus sertraline in major depressive disorder in Himalayan region of India

Background: Depression, a major common affective disorder which carries excess mortality through suicide. Among various drug classes available SSRI’s are usually a choice, but many patients show inadequate response, residual symptoms or discontinue medication due to intolerable side effects. Disturbances of circadian rhythm function are an etiopathogenic hallmark of depression. The degree of circadian misalignment correlates with the severity of depression and circadian abnormalities may partially be a consequence of alterations in behavior and sleep patterns that accompany depression. Agomelatine an agonist acts on MT1 and MT2 receptors and antagonist of 5HT2c receptors contributes to its resynchronization of circadian rhythms, enhancement of dopaminergic and adrenergic input to the frontal cortex, induction of hippocampal neurogenesis, and ultimately, to its antidepressant effect.Methods: The study was randomized, prospective, comparative and interventional regarding the efficacy of therapy. Hundred consenting patients of MDD attending psychiatry OPD were screened for possible enrollment into group A(Agomelatine) and group B(Sertraline). Patients were assessed by semi-structured case recording form, DSM-IV- TR Criteria for major depressive episode, Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) and Clinical Global Impressions for severity (CGI-S) at baseline and CGI for improvement (CGI-I), every two weeks interval and final assessment at 8 weeks.Results: Socio-demographic parameters like age and sex distribution, marital status, locality, family type, educational status, occupation and socio-economic class were comparable between two groups. Similarly baseline HAM-D and CGI-S values between the two groups were statistically non-significant. HAM-D, CGI-S and CGI-I values at eight weeks among the two groups were also statistically non-significant but in all three sertraline had decreased the values to a greater extent and showed a trend towards improvement.Conclusions: Both groups had shown significant decrease in scores of all scales i.e. HAM-D, CGI-S, and CGI-I at the end of 8th week as compared to baseline scores, indicating that the uses of agomelatine and sertraline have resulted in significant improvement in symptoms of patients of MDD and reinforcing there efficacy in treatment of MDD. No statistical difference was observed between two groups.

Assessment of arterial stiffness in stable patients of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a prospective case control study

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and represents a substantial socioeconomic burden. Co-morbidities are more in COPD patients. Cardiovascular disease is one of the co-morbid conditions in COPD. Arterial stiffness has a strong predictive value for cardiovascular events, which can be assessed non-invasively. Various predictors of arterial stiffness between stable COPD patients and healthy volunteers were measured and compared.Methods: COPD patients attending pulmonary medicine outpatient services were screened for enrolment. It was a prospective case control study with enrolment of fifty COPD stable cases and fifty healthy control, who were matched for their age and sex. All eligible participants were subjected to focused history and physical examination as per structured questionnaire, followed by spirometric examination, periscope test, arterial blood gas analysis and six- minute walk test (6MWT).Results: Increased arterial stiffness was observed in COPD patients over a wide range of severity of airway obstruction. Distance walked in 6MWT and spirometric values were significantly lower in COPD group as compared to healthy group.Conclusions: It was concluded that vascular changes, which are predictive of cardiovascular disease remain as cardiovascular risks in mild or early lung disease. A strong relationship between COPD, systemic inflammation, arterial stiffness and cardiovascular disease had been found which needs to be explored further. It was finally concluded that targeted therapeutic approach has broad aspect in reducing cardiovascular risks and has potential for improved prognosis in COPD

Ultrasonic Standoff Photoacoustic Sensor for the Detection of Explosive and Hazardous Molecules

Standoff photoacoustic spectroscopic technique has been studied for the detection of hazardous molecules adsorbed on surfaces and in vapour/aerosols form in open air. Detection and identification of components in explosive mixtures in trace amounts is very challenging by any point or standoff spectroscopic detection technique. Discusses detection and identification of such components using standoff laser photoacoustic spectroscopic technique. Laser photoacoustic spectra of various trace molecules in the mid-infrared spectral band 7 μm - 9 μm have been recorded in vapor, aerosol, liquid forms as well as samples adsorbed on surfaces such as plastic and cloth. Pulsed quantum cascade laser is modulated at a frequency of 42 kHz resonant with that of microphone. Hazardous chemicals/explosives adsorbed on plastic and cloths surfaces were detected from a standoff distance up to 1.5 m. The sensitivities were found to be 20 μg/cm2, 20 μl liquid and 1.0 ppm corresponding to solid, liquid and vapour phases respectively. The chemicals/explosives used in the study were PETN, DNT, Acetone, and DMMP. Our study suggests that the photoacoustic technique has high selectivity and sensitivity for the trace detection and be used for screening of suspicious objects for security applications as a handy product

SYNTHESIS AND INVESTIGATION OF ANTHELMINTIC, ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF 3,3-DIPHENYL PROPANAMIDE DERIVATIVES

Objective: A novel series of substituted 3,3-diphenyl propanamide derivatives (I-VIII) were synthesized by reacting 3,3-diphenyl propanoyl chloride with different amines/amino acids, and all the derivatives were investigated for anthelmintic, antibacterial, and antifungal activity.Methods: All the compounds were characterized by infrared (IR) and1H- nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry data. The synthesized derivatives were investigated for their anthelmintic activity employing housefly worms method and earthworm species model. The antibacterial and antifungal activity was performed employing cup plate method.Results: The synthesized compounds (VII and VIII) exhibited maximum anthelmintic activity as compared with standard drug albendazole at doses of 50 and 100 mg/mL, due to minimal paralyzing and death time in both housefly and earthworm models. The compounds (IV, VII, and VIII) at 50 μg/mL exhibited maximum activity against Gram-negative bacterial strains, namely, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa as compared with ciprofloxacin and same compounds exhibited maximum antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger in comparison with standard drug griseofulvin at 50 μg/mL.Conclusion: The synthesized compounds bearing amino acid moiety in their structure (VII-VIII) exhibited impressive anthelmintic activity in comparison with albendazole. This suggests that amino acid/peptide derivative of diphenyl propanamides can act as great anthelmintic agents. Further, the research can be performed to design potent antimicrobial diphenyl propanamide derivatives.Â

Kinetic study of batch and fed-batch enzymatic saccharification of pretreated substrate and subsequent fermentation to ethanol

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Enzymatic hydrolysis, the rate limiting step in the process development for biofuel, is always hampered by its low sugar concentration. High solid enzymatic saccharification could solve this problem but has several other drawbacks such as low rate of reaction. In the present study we have attempted to enhance the concentration of sugars in enzymatic hydrolysate of delignified <it>Prosopis juliflora</it>, using a fed-batch enzymatic hydrolysis approach.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The enzymatic hydrolysis was carried out at elevated solid loading up to 20% (w/v) and a comparison kinetics of batch and fed-batch enzymatic hydrolysis was carried out using kinetic regimes. Under batch mode, the actual sugar concentration values at 20% initial substrate consistency were found deviated from the predicted values and the maximum sugar concentration obtained was 80.78 g/L. Fed-batch strategy was implemented to enhance the final sugar concentration to 127 g/L. The batch and fed-batch enzymatic hydrolysates were fermented with <it>Saccharomyces cerevisiae </it>and ethanol production of 34.78 g/L and 52.83 g/L, respectively, were achieved. Furthermore, model simulations showed that higher insoluble solids in the feed resulted in both smaller reactor volume and shorter residence time.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Fed-batch enzymatic hydrolysis is an efficient procedure for enhancing the sugar concentration in the hydrolysate. Restricting the process to suitable kinetic regimes could result in higher conversion rates.</p