AN IN VITRO STUDY OF ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY AND RADICAL SCAVENGING EFFECT OF SPINACIA OLERACEA LEAF EXTRACT

Objective: The study was carried out to evaluate the preliminary phytochemical screening and antioxidant activity of ethanolic extract of Spinacia oleracea (SO).Methods: The leaves of SO were shade dried, and the extract was prepared using solvent ethanol by Soxhlet extraction method. The preliminary phytochemical screening was carried out on the leaf extract of the plant. The total phenolic content and total flavonoids were estimated using Folin- Ciocalteu's and aluminum chloride reagents, respectively. Antioxidant activities were studied using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, nitric oxide, hydrogen radical, lipid peroxidation, and phosphomolybdenum radical scavenging assays.Results: The preliminary phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of bioactive constituents such as phenols, alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, and glycosides. As SO is a rich source of different bioactive component, it contains a considerable amount of flavonoids and phenols. The different antioxidant assays proved that spinach is one of the best antioxidants with its ability to scavenge different radicals that generate oxidative stress.Conclusion: The observed activity may be associated with bioactive components such as phenols and flavonoids present in the leaf extracts and could have greater importance as nootropic plant in oxidative stress-related degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer and dementia

A qualitative study to explore various meanings of mental distress and help-seeking in the Yamuna valley, North India

Context: In rural India, mental healthcare remains limited due to scant state services and incongruency between provider- and patient-framing distress. Help-seeking by people with mental health problems is related to how meanings of distress are understood differently by individuals, based on their interaction with various actors in the community and the available cultural explanation within their local ecologies. Methodology: This study examines the mutually constituted relationship between meanings of mental distress and help-seeking among people residing in the Upper Yamuna Valley, Uttarakhand, North India. This qualitative study builds on six in-depth interviews with people with severe mental health issues and one person with epilepsy, referred as people with psychosocial disability (PPSD) in the study. The data analysis was iterative and followed thematic approach. Results: The study found that personal belief based on one's experience, such as negative self-judgment and wider cultural explanations, such as supernatural beliefs, as well as gender roles, impacted the way people address their mental health problems, in turn shaping their help-seeking behavior. Participants lost hope for a cure after years of trying to find an effective solution. Moreover, lack of access to care and remoteness of the mountainous area made help-seeking and recovery feel impossible. Conclusions: This study underscores the need for researchers and policy professionals to explore the local context and culture to improve care and treatment quality. The study also explains that personal explanation of psychosocial problems and help seeking are not unidirectional. It is a complex phenomenon layered with the local contexts which should be addressed in clinical practice, as well as future research. Finally, clinicians' training should address the local cultural language of distress to identify the problem and suggest an effective solution

Coordinated analysis of two graphite grains from the CO3.0 LAP 031117 meteorite: First identification of a CO Nova graphite and a presolar iron sulfide subgrain

Presolar grains constitute remnants of stars that existed before the formation of the solar system. In addition to providing direct information on the materials from which the solar system formed, these grains provide ground-truth information for models of stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis. Here we report the in-situ identification of two unique presolar graphite grains from the primitive meteorite LaPaz Icefield 031117. Based on these two graphite grains, we estimate a bulk presolar graphite abundance of 5-3+7 ppm in this meteorite. One of the grains (LAP-141) is characterized by an enrichment in 12C and depletions in 33,34S, and contains a small iron sulfide subgrain, representing the first unambiguous identification of presolar iron sulfide. The other grain (LAP-149) is extremely 13C-rich and 15N-poor, with one of the lowest 12C/13C ratios observed among presolar grains. Comparison of its isotopic compositions with new stellar nucleosynthesis and dust condensation models indicates an origin in the ejecta of a low-mass CO nova. Grain LAP-149 is the first putative nova grain that quantitatively best matches nova model predictions, providing the first strong evidence for graphite condensation in nova ejecta. Our discovery confirms that CO nova graphite and presolar iron sulfide contributed to the original building blocks of the solar system.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Galactic `Snake' IRDC G11.11−-0.12: a site of multiple hub-filament systems and colliding filamentary clouds

To probe star formation processes, we present a multi-scale and multi-wavelength investigation of the `Snake' nebula/infrared dark cloud G11.11$-$0.12 (hereafter, G11; length $\sim$27 pc). Spitzer images hint at the presence of sub-filaments (in absorption), and reveal four infrared-dark hub-filament system (HFS) candidates (extent $<$ 6 pc) toward G11, where massive clumps ($>$ 500 $M_{\odot}$) and protostars are identified. The $^{13}$CO(2-1), C$^{18}$O(2-1), and NH$_{3}$(1,1) line data reveal a noticeable velocity oscillation toward G11, as well as its left part (or part-A) around V$_{lsr}$ of 31.5 km s$^{-1}$, and its right part (or part-B) around V$_{lsr}$ of 29.5 km s$^{-1}$. The common zone of these cloud components is investigated toward the center's G11 housing one HFS. Each cloud component hosts two sub-filaments. In comparison to part-A, more ATLASGAL clumps are observed toward part-B. The JWST near-infrared images discover one infrared-dark HFS candidate (extent $\sim$0.55 pc) around the massive protostar G11P1 (i.e., G11P1-HFS). Hence, the infrared observations reveal multiple infrared-dark HFS candidates at multi-scale in G11. The ALMA 1.16 mm continuum map shows multiple finger-like features (extent $\sim$3500-10000 AU) surrounding a dusty envelope-like feature (extent $\sim$18000 AU) toward the central hub of G11P1-HFS. Signatures of forming massive stars are found toward the center of the envelope-like feature. The ALMA H$^{13}$CO$^{+}$ line data show two cloud components with a velocity separation of $\sim$2 km s$^{-1}$ toward G11P1. Overall, the collision process, the ``fray and fragment'' mechanism, and the ``global non-isotropic collapse'' scenario seem to be operational in G11.Comment: 20 pages, 13 figures, 3 Tables, Accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS) Journa

Application of hot melt extrusion for improving bioavailability of artemisinin a thermolabile drug

Hot melt extrusion has been used to produce a solid dispersion of the thermolabile drug artemisinin. Formulation and process conditions were optimized prior to evaluation of dissolution and biopharmaceutical performance. Soluplus®, a low Tg amphiphilic polymer especially designed for solid dispersions enabled melt extrusion at 110 °C although some drug-polymer incompatibility was observed. Addition of 5% citric acid as a pH modifier was found to suppress the degradation. The area under plasma concentration time curve (AUC0–24h) and peak plasma concentration (Cmax) were four times higher for the modified solid dispersion compared to that of pure artemisinin

TIRSPEC : TIFR Near Infrared Spectrometer and Imager

We describe the TIFR Near Infrared Spectrometer and Imager (TIRSPEC) designed and built in collaboration with M/s. Mauna Kea Infrared LLC, Hawaii, USA, now in operation on the side port of the 2-m Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT), Hanle (Ladakh), India at an altitude of 4500 meters above mean sea level. The TIRSPEC provides for various modes of operation which include photometry with broad and narrow band filters, spectrometry in single order mode with long slits of 300" length and different widths, with order sorter filters in the Y, J, H and K bands and a grism as the dispersing element as well as a cross dispersed mode to give a coverage of 1.0 to 2.5 microns at a resolving power R of ~1200. The TIRSPEC uses a Teledyne 1024 x 1024 pixel Hawaii-1 PACE array detector with a cutoff wavelength of 2.5 microns and on HCT, provides a field of view of 307" x 307" with a plate scale of 0.3"/pixel. The TIRSPEC was successfully commissioned in June 2013 and the subsequent characterization and astronomical observations are presented here. The TIRSPEC has been made available to the worldwide astronomical community for science observations from May 2014.Comment: 20 pages, 21 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in Journal of Astronomical Instrumentatio

Magnetophoretic circuits for digital control of single particles and cells.

The ability to manipulate small fluid droplets, colloidal particles and single cells with the precision and parallelization of modern-day computer hardware has profound applications for biochemical detection, gene sequencing, chemical synthesis and highly parallel analysis of single cells. Drawing inspiration from general circuit theory and magnetic bubble technology, here we demonstrate a class of integrated circuits for executing sequential and parallel, timed operations on an ensemble of single particles and cells. The integrated circuits are constructed from lithographically defined, overlaid patterns of magnetic film and current lines. The magnetic patterns passively control particles similar to electrical conductors, diodes and capacitors. The current lines actively switch particles between different tracks similar to gated electrical transistors. When combined into arrays and driven by a rotating magnetic field clock, these integrated circuits have general multiplexing properties and enable the precise control of magnetizable objects

Introgression of Helicoverpa armigera Resistance from Cajanus acutifolius-a Wild Relative from Secondary Gene Pool of Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan)

The aim of the study was to introgress Helicoverpa armigera resistance from wild relative Cajanus acutifolius into pigeonpea, (Cajanus cajan L.), an important grain legume in South Asia, East Africa and the West Indies. Pigeonpea grain yields on farmer’s fields are quite low, largely because of damage by insect pests, of which legume pod borer Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is the important pest worldwide. Pod borer has developed high levels of resistance to chemical insecticides. Currently, there are no cultivars of pigeonpea with high levels of resistance to H. armigera. Therefore, there is a need to identify and introgress resistance genes from the wild relatives of this crop. Wild relative of pigeonpea, Cajanus acutifolius (ICPW 15613) and the interspecific derivatives C. acutifolius x C. cajan have shown resistance to H. armigera. The results showed that all the test lines and C. acutifolius had high levels of flavonoids such as chlorogenic acid, quercetin and rutin in the flowers and buds, which may have resulted in less damage due to H. armigera larvae. Most of the test lines had more than 15.00 g of seed weight (100 seed weight) and beige seed color. These lines can be used for pigeonpea improvement for resistance to H. armigera

Open flower segregants selected from Cajanus platycarpus crosses.

In the segregating population from the cross Cajanus platycarpus × C. cajan ICPL 85010, significant variation in flower morphology was observed in F1BC3 progeny. Some of the flowers were found to be abnormally completely open. The percentage of abnormal flowers on each plant ranged from 5 to 86%. In these open flowers, the stamens were separate instead of forming a di-adelphous bundle as usually seen in pigeon pea. The filaments of each anther were separate from each other, giving a rubiaceous flower structure. The anthers in these open flowers did not dehisce even at flowering. Another morphology in the F1BC3 plants was abnormal too and anthers were not placed close to the stigma as seen in ICPL 85010. The pollen fertility ranged from 26 to 77% but in spite of high pollen fertility, none of the plants set seeds due to self pollination. Tripping the flowers did not release the pollen grains from the anthers, indicating that the anther walls were tough, unlike anthers in cultivated pigeon pea. Forced self pollination did not set seeds in these hybrids, but seeds were obtained when pollinated with ICPL 85010. In the interspecific cross C. cajan T-21 × Cajanus scarabaeoides, some of the BC1F2 plants showed free stamens that were all sterile, although the anther appeared normal