Evaluation of a Unani herbal formulation containing colchicum, ginger and aloe for anti-inflammatory activity

With an increased incidence of drug toxicity and resistance to allopathic drugs, natural products from plants could be interesting alternatives. Some plant extracts and phytochemicals are known to have anti-inflammatory properties, and can be of great significance in treatment of inflammatory disorders. These considerations require the scientific evaluation of the most important and commonly used traditional herbal formulations. A study has been done to find anti-inflammatory activity of Unani formulation derive from medicinally important plants like Zingiber officinal (Ginger), Colchicum luteum (Colchicum), and Aloe vera (Aloe). In this proposed work, we had modified powder of different mentioned plants into its solid state (tablet) by using gum Acacia. Its 50% alcoholic extract and aqueous extract were used to determine its anti-inflammatory activity by carrageenin induced oedema test and cotton pellet induced granuloma test. Efficacy of Unani formulation was compared with a standard referent drug, Diclofenac sodium. The obtained results using carrageenin oedema test showed decrease in the left hind paw volume significantly (

Implementation of Bioenergy Systems towards Achieving United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in Rural Bangladesh

This research presents a conceptual model to illustrate how people living in rural areas can harness bioenergy to create beneficial ‘community-driven’ income-generating activities. The research is contextualised within the rural developing areas of Bangladesh where people live in abject poverty and energy deficiency. The research methodology applied in this study aims to determine the basic requirements for implementing community-based anaerobic digestion (AD) facilities and illustrate how an AD facility positively impacts upon the lives of rural communities directly after its installation. The survey results demonstrate that implementing a biogas plant can save 1 h and 43 min of worktime per day for a rural family where women are generally expected to for cook (by the long-term tradition). In addition to the positive impacts on health and climate change through adoption of clean energy generation, this time saving could be utilised to improve women0s and children’s education. The research concludes that, by providing easy access to clean bioenergy, AD can change people’s quality of life, yielding major social, economic and environmental transformations; key benefits include: extending the working day; empowering women; reducing indoor air pollution; and improving people’s health and welfare. Each of these tangible benefits can positively contribute towards achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. This work demonstrates the potential to increase the implementation of AD systems in other developing world countries that have similar geographic and socioeconomic conditions

Determination of the Potential Impact of Domestic Anaerobic Digester Systems: A Community Based Research Initiative in Rural Bangladesh

This research examines the potential impact of domestic anaerobic digester (AD) systems adopted in Bangladesh and similar developing countries. Cattle dung and poultry litter feed stocks were specifically investigated, because these were freely available and plentiful to people living within agricultural areas of rural Bangladesh. Data was collected to ascertain whether these two representative AD facility types provide tangible social, economic and environmental impact that benefits homeowners. Primary quantitative and qualitative data was obtained by field data collection, and meeting with expert groups and stakeholders. Empirical analysis conducted revealed that variations were found in the biomass feedstocks available on different sites but also differences were apparent in terms of the operations and maintenance (O and M) systems of the biogas plants operated. The biogas and methane yield variation was also measured, and variations were found in the cattle dung and poultry litter AD yield capacity. Overall, 64% of feedstock was utilised, 91% of biogas plants remain underfed and energy yield efficiency was 57% from cattle smallholdings’ AD and 28% from poultry farms’ AD. These results showed that small scale AD can offer a significant impact upon rural lifestyles through augmented economics, improved social activities, relationship building with neighbours and improved lifestyle achieved via time savings accrued. These results could help rural entrepreneurs, AD equipment providers and government institutions to develop a road map to implement future AD installation on a much wider geographical scale

Increased left atrial stiffness in patients with atrial fibrillation detected by left atrial speckle tracking echocardiography

AbstractObjectiveThis study was designed to determine the contribution of left atrial (LA) stiffness to atrial fibrillation (AF) progression by comparing AF patients with normal control subjects, and to evaluate whether LA mechanical function is related to the structural changes of LA.BackgroundAbnormalities in the LA structure and function usually develop in patients with AF.Patients and methodsTwenty paroxysmal and 20 persistent AF patients, were included and studied, using standard, tissue Doppler and speckle tracking echocardiography, and were compared with 20 matched controls. LA maximal volume, mitral annular velocities, and global longitudinal LA strain were measured. The ratio of E/e′ to LA strain was used as an index of LA stiffness.ResultsStudy groups were comparable. Paroxysmal and persistent AF patients showed increased LA maximal volume (24.3±3.2, 20.1±5.2 vs. 18.3±1.6, p<0.001) and LV filling pressure (E/e′=9.5±1.1, 7.9±1.2 vs. 6.8±1.1, p<0.001), but decreased mitral annular velocities and LA strain (18.1±2.8, 21.5±4.3 vs. 25.9±2.9, p<0.001). LA stiffness was increased in patients with persistent and paroxysmal AF than in the control subjects (0.55±0.12, 0.36±0.09 vs. 0.26±0.02, p<0.001), and was related with LA diameter and LV filling pressure.ConclusionsPatients with AF have increased LA stiffness in comparison with that of the control subjects and it is higher in persistent than paroxysmal AF. LA volume and LV filling pressure are independent predictors of LA stiffness

Development of Ni-free Mn-stabilised maraging steels using Fe2SiTi precipitates

Computational alloy design has been used to develop a new maraging steel system with low cost, using Mn for austenite reversion and Heusler Fe2SiTi nm-scale precipitates to strengthen the martensite, avoiding high cost alloying elements such as Ni and Co. A pronounced ageing response was obtained, of over 100 HV, associated with the formation of 2-30nm Fe2SiTi precipitates alongside the development of 10% Mn rich austenite, at the martensite boundaries with the Kurdjumov-Sachs orientation relationship. The precipitates took on different orientation relationships, depending on the size scale and ageing time, with fine precipitates possessing an L21//α orientation relationship, compared to larger precipitates with L21//α. Computational alloy design has been used for the development and demonstration of an alloy design concept having multiple constraints. Whilst in this case computational design lacked the fidelity to completely replace experimental optimisation, it identifies the importance of embedding Thermodynamic and kinetic modelling within each experimental iteration, and vice versa, training the model between experimental iterations. In this approach, the model would guide targeted experiments, the experimental results would then be taken into future modelling to greatly accelerate the rate of alloy development

Evaluating the Potential of Rice Straw as a Co-digestion Feedstock for Biogas Production in Bangladesh

This research was done to evaluate the potential energy yield capacity of rice straw for anaerobic digestion (AD) as an alternative use of this material. Cattle markets were found to be a potential source that generates a significant amount of a mixture of 80% straw + 20% cattle dung. This waste rice straw/dung mix from cattle markets provides a good mixture with a much better C/N ratio than pure straw. This mix of straw and dung are often left in piles in the market for between 10 and 20 days, where they degrade naturally. Tests involving feeding this mixture into a domestic biogas plant showed that the biogas yield is 0.099 m3/kg feed stock with a methane content of 74.43%. . In the whole of Bangladesh there are 500 cattle markets, so their waste can produce about 35,000,000 MJ of energy through AD. A biogas plant will continue to generate biogas, even after daily feeding has been stopped, although the gas production and the methane content do reduce with time

Initiatives of Tropical Agroforestry to Sustainable Agriculture: A Case Study of Capasia Village, Northern Bangladesh

A relatively large percentage of the population in Bangladesh lives under the poverty line and is affected by the country's degrading natural resources. Agroforestry has been seen as one of the few options to lift people out of poverty. Research into the costs and benefits of agroforestry was undertaken in Capasia Village in Northern Bangladesh. Initial results indicate that agroforestry may not only be an optimal livelihood solution for poor farmers, biodiversity conservation and environmental sustainability but agroforestry systems also provide good economic rates of return. Thus the farmers who engage in agroforestry are benefited in different ways

Strengthening κ-carbide steels using residual dislocation content

A steel with nominal composition Fe-28Mn-8Al-1.0C in mass percent was hot rolled at two temperatures, 1100 °C and 850 °C and subsequently aged at 550 °C for 24 h. The lower temperature rolling resulted in a yield strength increment of 299 MPa while still retaining an elongation to failure of 26%. The large improvement in strength was attributed to an increase in residual dislocation density which was retained even after the ageing heat treatment. A homogeneous precipitation of κ-carbides in both samples also showed that the high residual dislocation density did not adversely affect precipitation kinetics. These findings demonstrate that the tensile properties of this class of steel can yet be improved by optimising hot rolling process parameters

An assessment of anaerobic digestion capacity in Bangladesh

This work scopes the potential for existing common feedstocks to be used in existing types of anaerobic digester units to produce biogas in Bangladesh. A preliminary study identified three commonly occurring scenarios of smallholdings with cattle, poultry farms and daily cattle markets, which produce dung, poultry litter, and dung mixed with rice straw, respectively. This third feedstock is proposed as a novel and significant newly recognised prevalent source. The main study involved carrying out surveys of representative samples of each of these (N=125, 125, and 30) for the district of Gazipur in order to determine the distribution of herd and flock sizes, and thus the relevant biogas plant types and potential yields. The results were scaled up for nationwide figures, which approximated the total potential biogas energy from these feedstock types at 240×106 MJ (240 TJ) per day, or 66.7×106 kWh, which in principle could meet the current cooking energy requirements of 30 million people in Bangladesh. Of this, 70% of the potential energy from AD could come from cattle feedstock (with 87% of this from domestic-sized plant); 16% from poultry feedstock (with 63% of this from medium-sized plant); and 14% from rice straw bedding from cattle markets (all requiring very large or extremely large plant). There is potential for around 2 million domestic units, 340,000 medium units and 19,000 large units, as well as 500 very large units that might be more suited for larger users such as businesses, schools or hospitals

Association between clinically diagnosed lumbar intervertebral disc prolapse and magnetic resonance image findings

There are contradictory reports on the findings of magnetic resonance image (MRI) in lumbar intervertebral disc prolapse. A study was conducted on 54 patients using 3 of 4 clinical criteria (low back pain with radiation down to the lower limbs, radicular pain along specific dermatomes, positive straight leg raising test, presence of neurological symptoms and signs e.g. motor or sensory deficit and MRI of lumbosacral spine of the respondent). Evaluation of MRI of lumbosacral spine was done based on extent of disc prolapse, disc degeneration, nerve root compression neural foramen compromise. The logistic regression analysis between the findings of MRI and the clinical features show that there was a significant association in the neural foramen or lateral recess (Odd's ratio 7.106, p&lt;0.05), the root compression (p&lt;0.01) as well as the disc extrusion (p&lt;0.05). There was no statistical association between clinical levels and other MRI findings like disc protrusion and disc bulge (p value 0.21 and 0.14, respectively). The strength of agreement between clinical and MRI diagnosis level of disc prolapse was calculated using kappa statistics (k-value). The test revealed a very good agreement for L3/4 (k-value = 0.812) and good agreement for L4/5 and L5/SI  level (k-value 0.75 and 0.75 respectively) between these two procedures, suggesting that level of disc prolapse could be correctly  diagnosed without MRI findings.  In conclusion, clinically diagnosed levels associate well with MRI levels, but all MRI abnormalities do not have any clinical significance.