A CLINICAL EVALUATION OF PANCHAGAVYA GHRITA IN BAL APASMARA (EPILEPSY IN PAEDIATRIC AGE GROUP)

Background: Epilepsy is defined as the primary disorder of the brain due to an abnormal and excessive neuronal activity involving cerebral grey matter, resulting in a seizure.Objective: The objective was to do a clinical evaluation of Panchagavya ghrita in Bal apasmara (epilepsy in paediatric age group).Materials and Methods: It is a randomized open interventional parallel efficacy drug trial. A total number of 60 patients were selected from the age group of 4 years to 16 years of age. All the patients were recently diagnosed with Idiopathic type of epilepsy and were not on any kind of medication, before the start of the study. The selected patients were randomly divided into two groups – The patients in Group I (n = 30) were given Panchagavya ghrita and patients in Group II (n = 30) were kept on Tab. Tegretol for the study. Both the groups were studied for 12 months to see the efficacy of the drug.Results: Group I showed Statistically significant results in Frequency of convulsions, Duration of convulsion and Smritinasha (Amnesia). Where as in Group II highly significant results were observed in Frequency of convulsions and duration of convulsion; but not   significant results were observed in Smritinasha (Amnesia).Conclusion: Panchagavya ghrita has shown promising results in the management of Bal - apasmara (Epilepsy in paediatric age group) without any complications and side-effects

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF BHUJANGASANA WITH KATIBASTI OVER ONLY KATIBASTI IN GRUDHRASI (SCIATICA)

Background: Grudhrasi (Sciatica) is one of the eighty Vatavyadhi mentioned in Ayurvedic Samhitas, which is caused by aggravated Vatadosha. This is characterized by Ruja (pain) in the waist, back, thigh, knee and calf regions along the course of Sciatic nerve. There are many treatment modalities available in Ayurveda and Modern medical science. They have some or the other shortcomings and drawbacks.Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of Bhujangasana with Katibasti over only Katibasti.Materials and Methods: It is a randomized open interventional parallel efficacy drug trial. A total number of  40 patients were selected from OPD. All the patients were having classical presentation of Grudhrasi and SLR test positive between 300 and 700. The selected were randomly divided in to two groups, namely, Group A (study group n = 20) and Group B (control group n = 20). Group A was given Bhujangasana with Katibasti and Group B was given Katibasti only. The data were collected and observations were made before the treatment, on 8th day, 15th day and on 22nd day of the treatment. The data obtained from the result were subjected for statistical analysis and conclusions were drawn.Results: In Group A, 85% patients were totally relieved of pain and 15% patients were reported to have moderate pain. In Group B, 55% patients reported total relief from pain and 25% had mild pain. In 90% cases SLR became negative in Group A, whereas in Group B 75% patients reported negative result in SLR test.Conclusion: Analysis of overall effect of treatment in the present study reveals that Bhujangasana with Katibasti was statistically significant compared to that of Katibasti

Occlusal Splint Therapy for a Dysfunctional Temporomandibular Joint

Splint therapy is an effective form of treatment for the pain of many types of temporomandibular disorders and bruxism. There are many unanswered questions as to how splints work. This article is a review of the literature which focuses on an effective splint design for the different degrees of temporomandibular problems

Breaking barriers: paving the path to sustainable fashion – insights for a greener apparel and textile sector

Purpose The apparel and textile sector poses a significant environmental challenge due to its substantial contribution to pollution in the form of air, water and soil pollution. To combat these issues, the adoption of sustainable practices is essential. This study aims to identify and analyse the barriers that hinder the progress of sustainability in the apparel and textile industry. By consulting experts in the field, critical barriers were identified and given special attention. Design/methodology/approach To achieve the research objective, an integrated approach involving Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) and fuzzy MICMAC decision-making techniques was employed. The results were further validated through the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method. Findings The findings highlight that barrier related to clothing disposal, inadequate adaptation to modern technology, challenges affecting sector efficiency and issues related to fashion design are crucial in influencing the remaining six barriers. Based on the outcomes of the DEMATEL method, a comprehensive cause-and-effect diagram was constructed to gain a deeper understanding of these challenges. Practical implications This research provides valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders in the apparel and textile industry. It offers a strategic framework to address and overcome sustainability barriers, promoting the development of a more environmentally responsible and resilient sector. Originality/value The purpose of this research is to conduct an in-depth investigation of the barriers apparel and textile sectors. It is feasible that both the management team and the medical experts who provide direct patient care could benefit from this research

Can circular healthcare economy be achieved through implementation of sustainable healthcare supply chain practices? Empirical evidence from Indian healthcare sector

Purpose Idea of circular economy defies the classical “make-use-dispose” approach of linear economic model. In the context of health-care industry, it relies heavily on the supply chain practices implemented by industry stakeholders. The purpose of this study is to explore such relationships, study their structure and put it across for attaining sustainability at large. Design/methodology/approach This study is an empirical research conducted on 145 health-care firms. The collected data is analysed to develop structural and measurement model. The five constructed hypotheses are examined and tested through structural equation modelling. Findings The study illustrates the latent relationships that exist among the stakeholders involvement, sustainable supply chain practices, sustainable performance and circular economy for health-care industry. It is found that the adoption of sustainable supply chain practices improves health-care performance, which, in turn, have positive influence on circular economy. Research limitations/implications The structural and measurement model is developed in the context of circular health-care economy. It can be validated or improvised by conducting similar research in other industry using different methods. This research work fulfils the long existing gap in research by offering a linkage between various constructs to achieve health-care circular economy. Based on the research results, future researchers can build theories of circular economy and sustainability for health-care industry. Originality/value The study attempts to study the supply chain ways to achieve circular economy for Indian health-care sector. It considered latent relationships among the set of constructs, which are needed for theory building at later stage

Structural Basis for EarP-Mediated Arginine Glycosylation of Translation Elongation Factor EF-P

Glycosylation is a universal strategy to posttranslationally modify proteins. The recently discovered arginine rhamnosylation activates the polyproline-specific bacterial translation elongation factor EF-P. EF-P is rhamnosylated on arginine 32 by the glycosyltransferase EarP. However, the enzymatic mechanism remains elusive. In the present study, we solved the crystal structure of EarP from Pseudomonas putida. The enzyme is composed of two opposing domains with Rossmann folds, thus constituting a B pattern-type glycosyltransferase (GT-B). While dTDP-β-L-rhamnose is located within a highly conserved pocket of the C-domain, EarP recognizes the KOW-like N-domain of EF-P. Based on our data, we propose a structural model for arginine glycosylation by EarP. As EarP is essential for pathogenicity in P. aeruginosa, our study provides the basis for targeted inhibitor design

X-ray and MR contrast bearing nanoparticles enhance the therapeutic response of image-guided radiation therapy for oral cancer

INTRODUCTION: Radiation therapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is constrained by radiotoxicity to normal tissue. We demonstrate 100 nm theranostic nanoparticles for image-guided radiation therapy planning and enhancement in rat head and neck squamous cell carcinoma models. METHODS: PEG conjugated theranostic nanoparticles comprising of Au nanorods coated with Gadolinium oxide layers were tested for radiation therapy enhancement in 2D cultures of OSC-19-GFP-luc cells, and orthotopic tongue xenografts in male immunocompromised Salt sensitive or SS rats via both intratumoral and intravenous delivery. The radiation therapy enhancement mechanism was investigated. RESULTS: Theranostic nanoparticles demonstrated both X-ray/magnetic resonance contrast in a dose-dependent manner. Magnetic resonance images depicted optimal tumor-to-background uptake at 4 h post injection. Theranostic nanoparticle + Radiation treated rats experienced reduced tumor growth compared to controls, and reduction in lung metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: Theranostic nanoparticles enable preprocedure radiotherapy planning, as well as enhance radiation treatment efficacy for head and neck tumors

Effect of electric field on creep and stress-relaxation behavior of carbon nanotube forests

Carbon nanotube forests (CNTFs) are porous ensembles of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes, exhibiting excellent reversible compressibility and electric field tunable stress-strain response. Here, we report the effects of electric field on the time dependent mechanical behavior, namely creep and stress-relaxation, of CNTFs. Creep and stress-relaxation experiments were conducted under constant compressive stress and constant compressive strain, respectively, wherein variation of the strain and the stress, respectively, as functions of time were measured. Creep strain-time data of CNTFs showed a primary creep regime followed by a steady-state creep regime. The creep rate was substantially retarded upon application of electric field. The steady-state strain rate showed a power-law dependence on the stress; however, the stress exponent reduced when an electric field was applied. On other hand, electric field enhanced stress-relaxation in CNTFs, leading to a lower value of stress at a given time. However, the effect of electric field on the stress-relaxation reduced with compressive strain. Based on the Garofalo model of creep, a unified model for explaining the overall time dependent mechanical behavior of CNTFs and the observed experimental results was developed