To evaluate the role of Lakshadi Avachoornana in the management of Dushta Vrana with special reference to Diabetic Ulcer : A Case Study

The global prevalence of diabetics is estimated to increase from 4.0% in 1995 to 5.5% by the year 2025. The chances of secondary infection are more in diabetics as the immunity of the patients is compromised and needs prolonged hospitalization, psychological and social problem for the patients and family. In Madhumehi the vessels of lower limb become weak and is unable to expel the Doshas (along with other Dushyas) leading to Prameha Pidakas more in lower extremities, which eventually burst open precipitating an ulcer.  Avachoornana is one among the Shashti Upakrama, explained by Acharya Sushrutha for management of Vrana. Numerous studies are done in the management of Dushta Vrana with the internal medication and external therapies. Here a preliminary attempt to study the effect of Avachoornana with Lakshadi Choorna in the management of the same was taken for the study

Emergent chiroptical properties in supramolecular and plasmonic assemblies

This tutorial provides a comprehensive description of the origin of chiroptical properties of supramolecular and plasmonic assemblies in the UV-visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The photophysical concepts essential for understanding chiroptical signatures are presented in the first section. Just as the oscillator strength (a positive quantity) is related to absorption, the rotational strength (either a positive or a negative quantity) defines the emergence of chiroptical signatures in molecular/plasmonic systems. In supramolecular systems, induced circular dichroism (ICD) originates through the off-resonance coupling of transition dipoles in chiral inclusion complexes, while exciton coupled circular dichroism (ECD) originates through the on-resonance exciton coupling of transition dipoles in chiral assemblies resulting in the formation of a bisignated CD signal. In bisignated ECD spectra, the sign of the couplet is determined not only by the handedness of chiral supramolecular assemblies, but also by the sign of the interaction energy between transition dipoles. Plasmonic chirality is briefly addressed in the last section, focusing on inherent chirality, induced chirality, and surface plasmon-coupled circular dichroism (SP-CD). The oscillator strength is of the order of 1 in molecular systems, while it becomes very large (104-105) in plasmonic systems due to the collective plasmonic excitations, resulting in intense CD signals, which can be exploited for the design of plasmonic metamaterial platforms for chiral sensing applications. This journal i

Role of biology in the air-sea carbon flux in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea

A physical-biological-chemical model (PBCM) is used for investigating the seasonal cycle of air-sea carbon flux and for assessing the effect of the biological processes on seasonal time scale in the Arabian Sea (AS) and Bay of Bengal (BoB), where the surface waters are subjected to contrasting physical conditions. The formulation of PBCM is given in Swathi et al (2000), and evaluation of several ammonium-inhibited nitrate uptake models is given in Sharada et al (2005). The PBCM is here first evaluated against JGOFS data on surface pCO2 in AS, Bay of Bengal Process Studies (BoBPS) data on column integrated primary productivity in BoB, and WOCE Il data on dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and alkalinity (ALK) in the upper 500 meters at 9°N in AS and at 10°N in BoB in September-October. There is good qualitative agreement with local quantitative discrepancies. The net effect of biological processes on air-sea carbon flux on seasonal time scale is determined with an auxiliary computational experiment, called the abiotic run, in which the biological processes are turned off. The difference between the biotic run and abiotic run is interpreted as the net effect of biological processes on the seasonal variability of chemical variables. The net biological effect on air-sea carbon flux is found to be highest in southwest monsoon season in the northwest AS, where strong upwelling drives intense new production. The biological effect is larger in AS than in BoB, as seasonal upwelling and mixing are strong in AS, especially in the northeast, while coastal upwelling and mixing are weak in BoB

Study to evaluate the effectiveness of coagulation factor concentrate prophylaxis in children with severe hemophilia

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of prophylaxis with coagulation factor concentrates VIII/IX (FVII/IX) in children with severe hemophilia A/B, respectively. Materials and Methods: Retrospective observational study was done on children enrolled in our hemophilia clinic, who initially received “on demand” therapy and were on prophylaxis with factor VIII/IX concentrate at the time of the study. The study group consisted of 8 children. Annual hemarthrosis rate (AHR) over a period of 1-year during on demand therapy was compared with AHR during a period of 1-year on prophylaxis with FVIII/IX. Results: There was reduction in AHR by 87% in hemophilia A and 85% in hemophilia B during prophylaxis compared to on demand therapy. There was a significant reduction in hemarthrosis/patient/year from 2.5 to 0.3 on prophylaxis with factor concentrate compared to on demand therapy. There was also reduction in other bleeding manifestation like psoas muscle bleed, oral bleeds, epistaxis, and number of target joints involved. Conclusion: Prophylaxis with coagulation factor concentrate significantly reduces the AHR, and hence, decreases the disability associated with it compared to “on demand” therapy

Prevalence, practice, and determinants of self-medication among the common public in a village of Northern Kerala, India

Background: Self-medication, managing health issues without professional guidance, poses significant risks to individuals and public health. Prevalence rates vary globally, often higher in low-income countries due to limited healthcare access. While self-medication offers cost-effective solutions for minor ailments, it may lead to misuse, adverse effects and financial burdens. Identifying factors driving self-medication is crucial for tailored interventions. This study aims to assess self-medication prevalence, practice, and influencing factors in a Kerala village. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study included 212 participants (≥18 years) selected via convenient sampling. A pre-tested questionnaire collected socio-demographic data, self-medication prevalence, and influencing factors. Self-medication was defined as OTC drug use without consulting a medical graduate. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26, with chi-square tests for bivariate analysis (p≤0.05). Results: Participants (mean age: 38.13±15.56) reported 53.8% self-medication. Acute illness individuals self-medicated more (80.7% purchased from independent pharmacies). Time constraints (24.5%) and expired prescriptions (42.1%) drove self-medication. Medication choice was influenced by cost (54.3%), brand reputation (21.1%), and both (24.6%), with pharmacist recommendations (36.0%) playing a role. Self-medication was common among ages 41-60 (64.3%) and those with lower education levels (77.8% primary, 70.5% middle). Acute illness individuals self-medicated more (66%) than chronic cases (34%). Conclusions: This rural Kerala study identifies a 53.8% self-medication rate, affected by age, education, and healthcare preferences. Targeted interventions are needed for ethical self-medication and improved healthcare practices

Comparative study of Typhidot-M with Widal and blood culture in diagnosis of enteric fever

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic utility of Typhidot-M and Widal test in the early diagnosis of enteric fever (EF) in terms ofsensitivity and specificity. Methods: The study included 270 children in the age group of 1-18 years admitted to the Department ofPediatrics from November 2012 to February 2014, with fever of 5 days or more and with clinical symptoms and signs suggestiveof typhoid fever. Detailed history and clinical examination findings were recorded on a standard pro forma. Complete hemogram(hemoglobin, platelet count, and total and differential leukocyte count), Typhidot-M test, Widal tube test, and blood culture weredone on day 1 of admission. For Widal test, a titer of 1 in 160 or more for “O” agglutinins and a titer of 1 in 320 or more for “H”agglutinins were considered as positive results. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value(NPV) were calculated. Results: Of 270 children included in the study, Salmonella typhi was isolated from 82 samples (30.4%)and the remaining 188 (69.6%) were blood culture negative. Widal test was positive in 107 children (39.6%) and Typhidot-M waspositive in 136 (50.4%). The sensitivity was 78%, specificity was 79.3%, PPV was 59.8%, and NPV was 91.4% for Widal test.Typhidot-M test had a sensitivity of 81.7%, specificity of 84.6%, PPV of 69.8%, and NPV of 91.4%. Conclusion: Prompt diagnosisof EF is essential for appropriate management and it is, therefore, important to have a satisfactory test to replace conventional testsused for diagnosis. The present study compares newer test (Typhidot-M) against conventional tests such as Widal test and bloodculture, and it appears to be a practical alternative to Widal test in the early detection of EF even in the resource-poor laboratoriesas it neither requires much laboratory equipment nor laboratory expertise to conduct the test. This test can be done within 7 daysof illness, but whenever feasible confirmation with blood culture is strongly recommended, especially with the well-documentedpresence of multidrug-resistant strains of salmonella typhi worldwide. However, both Widal and Typhidot-M appear to correlateless satisfactorily with blood culture, and thus, there is a need for developing a test which allows accurate and early diagnosis of EFto manage a child effectively and limit its morbidity and mortality

Outcomes of Esophageal Dilation in Eosinophilic Esophagitis: Safety, Efficacy and Persistence of the Fibrostenotic Phenotype

Esophageal dilation is commonly performed in eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), but there are few long-term data. The aims of this study were to assess the safety and long-term efficacy of esophageal dilation in a large cohort of EoE cases and determine the frequency and predictors of requiring multiple dilations