Evaluation of Anti-Ulcer Activity of Arisaema Leschenaultii

Ethanolic and Aqueous extract of Arisaema Leschenaultii was evaluated for its Antiulcer activity against naproxen induced ulcer. Different extracts of blume of A. leschenaultii gave dose dependent increase in anti-ulcer activity against naproxen induced ulcer. Ethanolic extract of blume of A. leschenaultii showed better ulcer inhibition (55.8%) as compared to AEAL (36.5%). The present investigation revealed that Arisaema Leschenaultii exhibited significant antiulcer activity by enhancing antioxidant potential of gastric mucosa thereby reducing mucosal damage

High order difference schemes for the system of two space second order nonlinear hyperbolic equations with variable coefficients

AbstractIn this paper, we develop implicit difference schemes of O(k4 + k2h2 + h4), where k > 0, h > 0 are grid sizes in time and space coordinates, respectively, for solving the system of two space dimensional second order nonlinear hyperbolic partial differential equations with variable coefficients having mixed derivatives subject to appropriate initial and boundary conditions. The proposed difference method for the scalar equation is applied for the solution of wave equation in polar coordinates to obtain three level conditionally stable ADI method of O(k4 + k2h2 + h4). Some physical nonlinear problems are provided to demonstrate the accuracy of the implementation

Formulation Development and Evaluation of Floating Microsphere of Acyclovir

The guanine derivative antiviral drug acyclovir (ACV) is one of the oldest molecules laying successful market until date, being commercially available in various dosage forms for oral, topical and parenteral administrations. Clinical application of this drug is superior to new antiviral agents due to its potential values such as suppression of recurrence, safety profile, minimal drug interactions and being inexpensive. ACV is slightly water soluble, less permeable and poorly bioavailable, yet more potential antiviral molecule. The present study involves preparation and evaluation of floating microspheres using ACV as a model drug for improving the drug bioavailability by prolongation of gastric retention time.  Ethyl cellulose, hydroxyl propyl methyl cellulose microspheres loaded with ACV were prepared by solvent diffusion evaporation method. The microspheres had smooth surfaces with free-flowing and good-packing properties. The yield of the microspheres (F1-F6) was range from 62.23±0.85 to73.32±0.65% and ethyl cellulose microspheres entrapped the maximum amount of the drug. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed their hollow structures with sizes in 198.3 nm. The prepared microspheres (F3) exhibited prolonged drug release and percentage buoyancy was found to 76.65±0.52. The formulated batches were evaluated for percentage yield, particle size measurement, flow properties, percent entrapment efficiency, swelling studies. The formulations were subjected to stability studies and In-vitro release and release kinetics data was subjected to different dissolution models. It was concluded that developed floating microspheres of ACV offers a suitable and practical approach for prolonged release of drug over an extended period of time and thus oral bioavailability, efficacy and patient compliance is improved. Keywords: Acyclovir, Solvent diffusion evaporation method, Ethyl cellulose, Hydroxyl propyl methyl cellulos

Formulation Development and Evaluation of Floating Microsphere of Acyclovir

The guanine derivative antiviral drug acyclovir (ACV) is one of the oldest molecules laying successful market until date, being commercially available in various dosage forms for oral, topical and parenteral administrations. Clinical application of this drug is superior to new antiviral agents due to its potential values such as suppression of recurrence, safety profile, minimal drug interactions and being inexpensive. ACV is slightly water soluble, less permeable and poorly bioavailable, yet more potential antiviral molecule. The present study involves preparation and evaluation of floating microspheres using ACV as a model drug for improving the drug bioavailability by prolongation of gastric retention time.  Ethyl cellulose, hydroxyl propyl methyl cellulose microspheres loaded with ACV were prepared by solvent diffusion evaporation method. The microspheres had smooth surfaces with free-flowing and good-packing properties. The yield of the microspheres (F1-F6) was range from 62.23±0.85 to73.32±0.65% and ethyl cellulose microspheres entrapped the maximum amount of the drug. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed their hollow structures with sizes in 198.3 nm. The prepared microspheres (F3) exhibited prolonged drug release and percentage buoyancy was found to 76.65±0.52. The formulated batches were evaluated for percentage yield, particle size measurement, flow properties, percent entrapment efficiency, swelling studies. The formulations were subjected to stability studies and In-vitro release and release kinetics data was subjected to different dissolution models. It was concluded that developed floating microspheres of ACV offers a suitable and practical approach for prolonged release of drug over an extended period of time and thus oral bioavailability, efficacy and patient compliance is improved. Keywords: Acyclovir, Solvent diffusion evaporation method, Ethyl cellulose, Hydroxyl propyl methyl cellulos

5-HT2ASNPs Alter the Pharmacological Signaling of Potentially Therapeutic Psychedelics

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) signaling is essential for the actions of classical psychedelic drugs. In this study, we examined whether sequence variations in the 5-HT2AR gene affect the signaling of four commonly used psychedelic drugs. We examined the in vitro pharmacology of seven non-synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which give rise to Ser12Asn, Thr25Asn, Asp48Asn, Ile197Val4.47, Ala230Thr, Ala447Val, and His452Tyr variant 5-HT2A serotonin receptors. We found that these non-synonymous SNPs exert statistically significant, although modest, effects on the efficacy and potency of four therapeutically relevant psychedelics. Significantly, the in vitro pharmacological effects of the SNP drug actions at 5-HT2AR are drug specific

Shapes of the Proton

A model proton wave function, constructed using Poincare invariance, and constrained by recent electromagnetic form factor data, is used to study the shape of the proton. Spin-dependent quark densities are defined as matrix elements of density operators in proton states of definite spin-polarization, and shown to have an infinite variety of non-spherical shapes. For high momentum quarks with spin parallel to that of the proton, the shape resembles that of a peanut, but for quarks with anti-parallel spin the shape is that of a bagel.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, to be submitted to Phys. Rev. C This corrects a few typos and explains some further connections with experiment

QCD Form Factors and Hadron Helicity Non-Conservation

Recent data for the ratio $R(Q)= QF_{2}(Q^{2})/F_{1}(Q^{2})$ shocked the community by disobeying expectations held for 50 years. We examine the status of perturbative QCD predictions for helicity-flip form factors. Contrary to common belief, we find there is no rule of hadron helicity conservation for form factors. Instead the analysis yields an inequality that the leading power of helicity-flip processes may equal or exceed the power of helicity conserving processes. Numerical calculations support the rule, and extend the result to the regime of laboratory momentum transfer $Q^{2}$. Quark orbital angular momentum, an important feature of the helicity flip processes, may play a role in all form factors at large $Q^{2}$, depending on the quark wave functions.Comment: 25 pages, 5 figure

BRG1 and BRM function antagonistically with c-MYC in adult cardiomyocytes to regulate conduction and contractility

Rationale The contractile dysfunction that underlies heart failure involves perturbations in multiple biological processes ranging from metabolism to electrophysiology. Yet the epigenetic mechanisms that are altered in this disease state have not been elucidated. SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complexes are plausible candidates based on mouse knockout studies demonstrating a combined requirement for the BRG1 and BRM catalytic subunits in adult cardiomyocytes. Brg1/Brm double mutants exhibit metabolic and mitochondrial defects and are not viable although their cause of death has not been ascertained. Objective To determine the cause of death of Brg1/Brm double-mutant mice, to test the hypothesis that BRG1 and BRM are required for cardiac contractility, and to identify relevant downstream target genes. Methods and results A tamoxifen-inducible gene-targeting strategy utilizing αMHC-Cre-ERT was implemented to delete both SWI/SNF catalytic subunits in adult cardiomyocytes. Brg1/Brm double-mutant mice were monitored by echocardiography and electrocardiography, and they underwent rapidly progressive ventricular dysfunction including conduction defects and arrhythmias that culminated in heart failure and death within 3 weeks. Mechanistically, BRG1/BRM repressed c-Myc expression, and enforced expression of a DOX-inducible c-MYC trangene in mouse cardiomyocytes phenocopied the ventricular conduction defects observed in Brg1/Brm double mutants. BRG1/BRM and c-MYC had opposite effects on the expression of cardiac conduction genes, and the directionality was consistent with their respective loss- and gain-of-function phenotypes. To support the clinical relevance of this mechanism, BRG1/BRM occupancy was diminished at the same target genes in human heart failure cases compared to controls, and this correlated with increased c-MYC expression and decreased CX43 and SCN5A expression. Conclusion BRG1/BRM and c-MYC have an antagonistic relationship regulating the expression of cardiac conduction genes that maintain contractility, which is reminiscent of their antagonistic roles as a tumor suppressor and oncogene in cancer

Covid-19 and Tobacco Cessation:Lessons from India

OBJECTIVES: The Government of India prohibited the sale of tobacco products during the COVID-19 lockdown to prevent spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This study assessed the tobacco cessation behaviour and its predictors among adult tobacco users during the initial COVID-19 lockdown period in India. STUDY DESIGN: : Cross-sectional study. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 801 adult tobacco users (both smoking and smokeless tobacco) in two urban metropolitan cities of India over a 2-month period (July–August 2020). The study assessed complete tobacco cessation and quit attempts during the lockdown period. Logistic and negative binomial regression models were used to study correlates of tobacco cessation and quit attempts, respectively. RESULTS: In total, 90 (11.3%) tobacco users reported that they had quit using tobacco after the COVID-19 lockdown period. Overall, a median of two quit attempts (interquartile range [IQR] 0–6) were made by tobacco users. Participants with good knowledge on the harmful effects of tobacco use and COVID-19 were significantly more likely to quit tobacco use (odds ratio [OR] 2.2; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2–4.0) and reported more quit attempts (incidence risk ratio [IRR] 5.7; 95% CI 2.8-11.8] compared with those with poor knowledge. Participants who had access to tobacco products were less likely to quit tobacco use compared with those who had no access (OR 0.3; 95% CI 0.2–0.5]. CONCLUSIONS: Access restrictions and correct knowledge on the harmful effects of tobacco use and COVID-19 can play an important role in creating a conducive environment for tobacco cessation among users

Universality of Correlation Functions in Random Matrix Models of QCD

We demonstrate the universality of the spectral correlation functions of a QCD inspired random matrix model that consists of a random part having the chiral structure of the QCD Dirac operator and a deterministic part which describes a schematic temperature dependence. We calculate the correlation functions analytically using the technique of Itzykson-Zuber integrals for arbitrary complex super-matrices. An alternative exact calculation for arbitrary matrix size is given for the special case of zero temperature, and we reproduce the well-known Laguerre kernel. At finite temperature, the microscopic limit of the correlation functions are calculated in the saddle point approximation. The main result of this paper is that the microscopic universality of correlation functions is maintained even though unitary invariance is broken by the addition of a deterministic matrix to the ensemble.Comment: 25 pages, 1 figure, Late