PHARMACOGNOSTICAL STANDARDIZATION OF HUGONIA MYSTAX L. LEAVES

The present study discloses detailed pharmacognostical profile of leaves of Hugonia mystax L. This plant belongs to family Linaceae and an important medicinal plant in the Indian system of medicine. This species is has a restricted global distribution, occurring only in India and Sri Lanka. In the present study leaves of H. mystax were subjected for macroscopical, microscopical, physicochemical, phytochemical, fluorescence and H.P.T.L.C. analysis. The microscopical studies revealed the presence of shield shaped vascular bundle accompanied by 2 to 1 small accessory vascular bundles in the midrib region, pericyclic fibers around the vascular bundle, rubiaceous type stomata in lower region, presence of abundant rhomboidal to prism shaped calcium oxalate crystals, presence of reddish tannin content in palisade region and presence of abundant fibers. To determine extent of adulteration as well as to establish the quality and purity of drug, Physicochemical parameters like loss on drying, total ash value, acid insoluble ash, water insoluble ash, various extractive values etc., were carried out and revealed the total ash value as 8.7%, of which, 1.34% was acid insoluble ash, and 2.25% was water soluble ash and 5.8 % water insoluble. The extractive values were found to be 18.54% and 13.42% for water and alcohol respectively, which indicated higher extractive value for water compared to alcohol. Further, qualitative tests for various functional groups like Triterpenoids, alkaloids, glycosides etc., were carried out and H.P.T.L.C. profile was also established with Methanolic extract

REVIEW OF RESEARCH ON GYNECOLOGICAL CANCERS IN AYURVEDA – AN UPDATE

In spite of advanced chemotherapy and radiotherapy the term Cancer still induces fear of death in common man. Cancers figure among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with approximately 14 million new cases and 8.2 million cancer related deaths (2012). Generally in the women, the five most common sites of cancer are breast, colorectum, lung, cervix, and stomach. But, the most common types of gynaecologic malignancies are cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, and endometrial (uterus) cancer etc. On par with other cancers, Gynecological cancers also contribute to significant number of deaths. In India alone, among the gynaecological cancers, breast cancer accounts for 21.5% deaths; cervical cancer for 20.7% deaths, ovarian cancer for 6.0% of deaths (World Health Organization - Cancer Country Profiles, 2014).The main goals of a cancer diagnosis and treatment programme are to cure or considerably prolong the life of patients and to ensure the best possible quality of life to cancer survivors. Ayurveda plays a key role in prevention; prolong the life span and improvement of quality of life in cancer. In the direction of prevention of cervical carcinoma, poly-herbal compounds ‘Praneem’ and ‘Basant’ are studied extensively. To improve the quality of life, CCRAS have been initiated trials with coded drug AYUSH-QOL-2C, in non-metastatic breast cancer patients those who are receiving chemotherapy/radio-therapy, at St. Johns medical college, Bangalore, Karnataka. Some other clinical studies are also carried out to see the effect of turmeric as an adjuvant in abroad. Apart from the clinical trials number of single herbal drugs like Haridra, Bhallataka, Ashvagandha etc., and compound herbo-mineral preparations are studied to see their efficacy on different types of gynaecological cancers. In united states of America, clinical trials on arsenic preparations are also carried out. Present article aims to review the usefulness of these drugs in Gynecological cancers and their safety too

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF BULK PRECIPITATION AT URBAN AND RURAL AREAS OF KARNATAKA, INDIA

Bulk precipitation is a mixture of rain (wet +Dry) and dries fallout. As sampled, bulk precipitation is the solution formed when dry fallout is washed into the collecting vessel by rain water. The resulting solution is bulk precipitation. There are 316 samples were collected during the study period, 2005 to 2007 at urban and rural areas. Concentration of major cations ( H+, Ca2 +, Mg2 +, Na+, K+,  and NH4+) and anions (Cl-, SO42-, HCO3-, NO2-, NO3-and PO43) were deter mined and predominant ions were identified. The study sho wed that the volume weighted mean pH o f bulk precipitation at Hebbal-Bangalore nor th area was 4.70 in which was acidic in natur e, where as in   Bangalore south  –Jayanagar was 5.74 which was alkaline in nature in urban area. The VHM pH of Devanahalli was 6.17, Kanakapura 6.26 and Ramanagara area was 6.21, which were alkaline in nature and free from acid rain in rural area. .The pH of Bulk precipitation of Bangalore urban area decreases from 6.61 alkaline (1974-1984) to 5.20-5.40 acidic (1996-2005), due to the dominance of acidic species. The decreasing of pH in the precipitation of the city could be because of SO42-and NO3-ions. NH4+and Ca2+were acting as neutralizing ions or in the absence of these ions; the pH reduction of bulk precipitation may be much faster towards acidic range. The study established through statistical analysis, that positive correlation coefficient between H+and SO42-and H+and NO3-in the bulk precipitation samples of the urban area indicating lower pH values were controlled by H2SO4 and HNO3. Hence the study established that the Bangalore atmosphere is dominated by acidic species throughout the study period.  The decreasing trend of pH in the precipitation in the city may be attributed to local emissions of SO2 and NOx from urban activities

Ethnopharmacognastical investigation on Ipomoea pes-tigridis Linn.

The present investigation was undertaken to analyze the Pharmacognostical, physicochemical and preliminary phytochemical profile in the leaves and roots of Ipomoea pes-tigridis Linn. with the back ground of Ethnic importance. This plant is used by the tribes of Nellore district as a single drug remedy to treat as Laxative and skin diseases. In the present work the leaf and root part of the plant were subjected to various microscopical and physico- preliminary phyto chemical evaluations. In the microscopical studies, the different cell structures and arrangements were studied. Physicochemical parameters like loss on drying, total ash value, acid insoluble ash, water insoluble ash, various extractive values etc., were carried out. Further, qualitative tests for various functional groups like Triterpenoids, alkaloids, glycosides etc..., were carried out

Arithmeticity vs. non-linearity for irreducible lattices

We establish an arithmeticity vs. non-linearity alternative for irreducible lattices in suitable product groups, such as for instance products of topologically simple groups. This applies notably to a (large class of) Kac-Moody groups. The alternative relies on a CAT(0) superrigidity theorem, as we follow Margulis' reduction of arithmeticity to superrigidity.Comment: 11 page

Time-integrated luminosity recorded by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II e+e- collider

This article is the Preprint version of the final published artcile which can be accessed at the link below.We describe a measurement of the time-integrated luminosity of the data collected by the BABAR experiment at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy e+e- collider at the ϒ(4S), ϒ(3S), and ϒ(2S) resonances and in a continuum region below each resonance. We measure the time-integrated luminosity by counting e+e-→e+e- and (for the ϒ(4S) only) e+e-→μ+μ- candidate events, allowing additional photons in the final state. We use data-corrected simulation to determine the cross-sections and reconstruction efficiencies for these processes, as well as the major backgrounds. Due to the large cross-sections of e+e-→e+e- and e+e-→μ+μ-, the statistical uncertainties of the measurement are substantially smaller than the systematic uncertainties. The dominant systematic uncertainties are due to observed differences between data and simulation, as well as uncertainties on the cross-sections. For data collected on the ϒ(3S) and ϒ(2S) resonances, an additional uncertainty arises due to ϒ→e+e-X background. For data collected off the ϒ resonances, we estimate an additional uncertainty due to time dependent efficiency variations, which can affect the short off-resonance runs. The relative uncertainties on the luminosities of the on-resonance (off-resonance) samples are 0.43% (0.43%) for the ϒ(4S), 0.58% (0.72%) for the ϒ(3S), and 0.68% (0.88%) for the ϒ(2S).This work is supported by the US Department of Energy and National Science Foundation, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (Canada), the Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique and Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physiquedes Particules (France), the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Germany), the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (Italy), the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (The Netherlands), the Research Council of Norway, the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Spain), and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (United Kingdom). Individuals have received support from the Marie-Curie IEF program (European Union) and the A.P. Sloan Foundation (USA)

Study of CP violation in Dalitz-plot analyses of B0 --> K+K-KS, B+ --> K+K-K+, and B+ --> KSKSK+

We perform amplitude analyses of the decays $B^0 \to K^+K^-K^0_S$, $B^+ \rightarrow K^+K^-K^+$, and $B^+ \to K^0_S K^0_S K^+$, and measure CP-violating parameters and partial branching fractions. The results are based on a data sample of approximately $470\times 10^6$ $B\bar{B}$ decays, collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy $B$ factory at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. For $B^+ \to K^+K^-K^+$, we find a direct CP asymmetry in $B^+ \to \phi(1020)K^+$ of $A_{CP}= (12.8\pm 4.4 \pm 1.3)$, which differs from zero by $2.8 \sigma$. For $B^0 \to K^+K^-K^0_S$, we measure the CP-violating phase $\beta_{\rm eff} (\phi(1020)K^0_S) = (21\pm 6 \pm 2)^\circ$. For $B^+ \to K^0_S K^0_S K^+$, we measure an overall direct CP asymmetry of $A_{CP} = (4 ^{+4}_{-5} \pm 2)$. We also perform an angular-moment analysis of the three channels, and determine that the $f_X(1500)$ state can be described well by the sum of the resonances $f_0(1500)$, $f_2^{\prime}(1525)$, and $f_0(1710)$.Comment: 35 pages, 68 postscript figures. v3 - minor modifications to agree with published versio