Stronger Error Disturbance Relations for Incompatible Quantum Measurements

We formulate a new error-disturbance relation, which is free from explicit dependence upon variances in observables. This error-disturbance relation shows improvement over the one provided by the Branciard inequality and the Ozawa inequality for some initial states and for particular class of joint measurements under consideration. We also prove a modified form of Ozawa's error-disturbance relation. The later relation provides a tighter bound compared to the Ozawa and the Branciard inequalities for a small number of states.Comment: 5+pages, 3 figure

Effect of fortification of Pasta with natural immune booster Moringa Oleifera leaves powder (MLP) on Cooking Quality and Sensory analysis

Malnutrition is a worldwide escalating severe problem, impacting majority of the Indian population. Currently, it is difficult to meet, the nutritional requirements with a limited type of stored food as compared to the variety of freshly available food. In such a scenario incorporating, the immune-boosting nutritional ingredients in a commonly consumed food can be adopted as one of the nutritional approaches. Hence, as an alternate to fresh food, the usage of a fortified high-nutrient food products can be one of the approaches e.g., the inclusion of fortified pasta in meals. Moringa oleifera is a fast-growing underutilized tree with high nutritional value. Its leaves are rich sources of bioactive components, vitamin A, vitamin C and Iron. Fortification of pasta products with Moringa oleifera leaf powder can be one of the cost-effective approaches and, a best immunity booster supplement for enhancing the nutritional value of pasta-based products which can be stored for several months. In current study, the preparation of pasta fortified with varying concentrations of Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MLP) was attempted, followed by its cooking quality analysis (cooking time, cooking weight, cooking loss and water absorption) and sensory attributes evaluation (based on 9 points hedonic scale including the colour, taste, texture, flavour and overall acceptability). The results from the qualitative as well as quantitative analysis suggest that the fortification of pasta with Moringa oleifera leaves differentially modified the sensory characteristics of the pasta in a concentration-dependent manner. The present study indicates that the fortification of pasta with Moringa oleifera leaf powder can act as a natural immune booster, and has the potential to reduce the probability of microbial infections. Keywords: Bioactive Components, Fortification, Moringa oleifera, Pasta

Indian Science and Technology during the Freedom Struggle: A ‘Science Diplomacy’ Perspective

Science Diplomacy (SD) has emerged as a key component of foreign policy in the first decade of the 21st century. It provides an outlookto explore science and technology and diplomatic efforts in three distinctive perspectives namely 'science for diplomacy', 'diplomacy for science' and 'science in diplomacy'. However, one must note that this is not a new phenomenon and has been in practice in different forms for centuries and Indian S&T is not an exception. However, literature dominates the European perspective and is not much available from the non-western contexts. Therefore, the paper aims to explore S&T in the Indian context from the SD perspective in the first half of the 20th century, which also marked the period of freedom struggle at its peak. The paper uses the historiography of science method and purposively selected three cases, two from the 'colonised' and one from the 'colonisers' perspective. The first is The Association for the Advancement of Scientific and Industrial Education of Indians (AASIEI) and the second set of cases reflects the efforts of four Indian scientists, namely Saha, Bhatnagar, Raman, and Bhabha. The third case is of a diplomatic effort to gather Indian support for the war by the British when they sent Hill to India. The events and anecdotes suggest that SD was very much part of the freedom struggle movement and after independence, they shaped the Indian S&T in a major way. In the end, the paper suggests a few learning for Indian S&T from the SD perspective

PHARMACEUTICAL PREPARATION OF LAUHA BHASMA

In the present research paper, the pharmaceutical preparation of Lauha bhasma (calcined iron) is being presented. The various procedures adopted in the preparation of Lauha bhasma includes Samanya Shodhana (common purification process for iron) and Vishesha Shodhana (specific purification process for iron), Lauha marana by Bhanupaka (Heating of iron under sunrays) Sthalipaka (Heating of iron in a vessel) and Puta paka (Incineration of iron). Lauha was finally subjected to the process of Amriikaran (nectarization). The process of Puta paka was undergone in electric muffle furnace (EMF) and was repeated for sixty times each under identical conditions, at the temperature of 7500 C till 35th Puta and thereafter at 7000 C till the end of the Marana process i.e. 60 Puta. During the processing of iron, Triphala kwatha (decoction of three myrobalan) has been used as liquid media for Vishesha Shodhana, Bhanupaka, Sthalipaka and Puta paka. The study showed an increase in weight of Lauha after Bhanupaka and Stahlipaka i.e.,, 216% and 105.3%, respectively. It may be due to addition of solid content of Triphala kwatha. After Puta paka, 63%weight gain was observed in final product which may be attributed to addition of ash from Triphala kwatha. The Bhasma obtained fulfils all criteria and was found safe for oral administration

ROLE OF KANA KAJJALI IN THE MANAGEMENT OF AJEERNA (INDIGESTION): AN OPEN CLINICAL STUDY

Ajeerna (Indigestion) is the state of unfinished process of digestion of ingested food. Kana Kajjali is a classical formulation indicated in the treatment of Ajeerna. It is prepared by Kana (Piper longum)- a herbal drug and herbomineral preparation Kajjali (Black sulphide of mercury). In the present study, an effort has been made to assess the effect of herbomineral formulation Samaguna (Hg:S=1:1) Kana Kajjali and Shadadguna (Hg:S=1:6) Kana Kajjali (Black sulphide of Mercury with Piper longum)on indigestion. Materials and methods: The study was carried out on 83 patients of indigestion. Patients were divided into three groups with simple random sampling method: Group A was treated with Samaguna Kana Kajjali tablet at the dose of 125 mg; Group B was treated with Kana tablet 250 mg; while group C was treated Shadaguna Kana Kajjali tablet at the dose of 125 mg; twice a day after meal. Duration of the treatment was 10 days. Assessment was done on the basis grading of classical signs and symptoms of the disease with application of paired t- test. Results: Highly significant (p<0.001) effect was seen in Samaguna Kana Kajjali group on symptoms like Angamarda, Tiktoamlodgara and Shadguna Kana Kajjali on one Vataja symptom viz. Pravahanam and three Kaphaja symptom viz. Utlesha, Arochaka and Avipaka with best result with Shadguna Kana Kajjali especially on Kaphaja symptoms. Conclusion: Above study confirms that an increase in the concentration of Gandhaka in Parada enhances the therapeutic efficacy of the later drug

Combining ability analysis for yield and quality traits in single cross hybrids of quality protein maize (Zea mays L.) using diallel mating design

Forty-five single-cross hybrids developed (in rabi 2014) from ten inbred lines of quality protein maize through diallel mating design along with four checks viz., Pratap QPM Hybrid- 1, Vivek QPM- 9, HQPM- 1 and HQPM-5 were evaluated in randomized block design with three replications for yield and quality traits during kharif-2014, to estimate the gca (general combining ability) of the parents and sca (specific combining ability) of hybrids considered for the development of high yielding varieties. The analysis of variance for combining ability revealed significant mean sum of squares due to gca and sca for all the traits, except mean sum of square due to gca for num-ber of grain rows per ear. Ratio of ?2 sca / ? 2 gca was greater than one for all the traits, thereby indicating the preponderance of non-additive gene effects in the expression of these traits. Inbred line P8 and P5 has been found good general combiner with highest magnitude of gca effects 10.46 and 8.89, respectively and high per se i.e. 52.33 g and 44.67 g, respectively for grain yield per plant and majority of traits. Hybrids P6xP8, P5xP8, P3xP5, P5xP7 and P1xP8 showed higher significant positive sca effects ranged from 25.66 to 34.59 along with good per se ranged from 98.00 to 107.67 g for grain yield per plant. These hybrids also exhibited significant positive sca effects for most of the yield and quality traits under study, indicating potential and may be used for exploiting hybrid vigour in in QPM hybrid breeding programmes

Acceptance of non-invasive prenatal testing by cell free foetal DNA for foetal aneuploidy in a developing country: experience at a tertiary care centre in India

Background: Non-invasive prenatal testing is a new technique which is deepening its root all over the world. Its tremendous potential lies in its ability of using cell free fetal DNA from the plasma of pregnant women. However, to what extent the technology has reached to a common person is also to be given a thought. hence the study was planned to assess the acceptability of non-invasive prenatal testing in Indian settings, to study about the awareness and baseline knowledge about Down’s syndrome, to study the correlation between various indications of prenatal testing for aneuploidy and results of noninvasive prenatal testing.Methods: Noninvasive cell free fetal NA testing for aneuploidy was an informed patient choice after pre-test counseling. Patients with a positive test result were offered invasive prenatal diagnosis for confirmation of test results.Results: The diagnostic potential of cell free DNA for fetal aneuploidy matched equally with invasive tests avoiding slight but yet considerable risk of invasive tests. However, we found that, 90 % of patients in a tertiary centre hospital in India were not aware of trisomy 21 and various options available for prenatal screening for aneuploidy.Conclusions: Newer genomic technology involving cell free maternal DNA is a new storm in prenatal diagnosis. Its application in clinical practice is the need of the hour, however, the lack of awareness, high cost and unavailability of the test in the country appears to be a major limiting factor for its poor acceptability