CLINICAL STUDY OF BABOOL (ACACIA ARABICA WILLD.) AND KUKUNDAR (BLUMEA LACERA D.C.) ON ASRIGDARA

Rakta is known to be a vital substance of body. As the disease is characterized by excess flow of blood out of the body, Raktastambhana Chikitisa is beneficial. Treatment prescribed for Raktatisara, Raktapitta, Raktarsha, Guhyaroga and Garbhasrava is also useful. Considering this aspect, Raktastambhaka, Raktsodhana, Raktapittaghna effects are desired in treatment. Haemostatic drugs should be used by giving due consideration to the association of Doshas diagnosed on the basis of colour and smell of the blood. Aims and Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of Babool and Kukundar and comparative clinical study of Babool and Kukundar on Asrigdara. Materials and Methods: For the present study, patients fulfilling the clinical criteria for diagnosis of Asrigdara will be selected irrespective of their age, sex, religion, etc, in random from O.P.D. section of M. M. M. Govt. Ayurveda College hospital, Udaipur (Raj.). Case history of all the patients was taken in the specially prepared proforma. Conclusion: Babool due to its astringent taste and Kunkundar due to its bitter taste, both drugs pacify excessive Pitta humour which is main cause of Asrigdara. Their chemical constituents possess haemostatic and anti-inflammatory properties thus considering these facts, these drugs have been selected for present study

ATIVISA (ACONITUM HETEROPHYLLUM WALL EX. ROYLE): A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW ON PROPAGATION, TRADITIONAL USES AND PHARMACOLOGY

Aconitum heterophyllum Wall ex. Royle is considered an important medicinal plant in traditional system of medicine as the tuberous roots are used for curing different ailments. But over grazing, prolong seed dormancy and many other reasons have led to the exploitation of this plant, so conservation through various modes is the need of the hour. Aims: The present review aims for accounting extensive information on different methods of propagation, traditional uses and pharmacological activities of Aconitum heterophyllum. Review Methods: A literature search was done on Aconitum heterophyllum using relevant Ayurvedic and contemporary texts. Different scientific databases such as Pubmed, Scopus, EBSCO, Google Scholar Information were used to collect all information regarding propagation and pharmacology of this plant. Results: Available data has reported that this endangered plant can be propagated through various methods such as raising propagules from seeds and daughter tubers, and other plant tissue culture techniques. Plant has reported to have 0.79% of total alkaloids in roots, out of which Atisine (0.4%), Heteratisine (0.3%), histisine, heterophyllisine, heterophylline, heterophyllidine are some major alkaloids. It also possesses important pharmacological activities like anti-bacterial activity, anti-diarrhoeal activity, enzyme-inhibition activity, anti-inflammatory activity, hepato-protective activity and anti-spasmodic activity. Conclusion: The results of this review clearly suggests about the valuable traditional use of Aconitum heterophyllum in curing various ailments like diarrhoea, dysentery, bilious complaints, intermittent fever and diseases of children. Further research: Different traditional uses mentioned in Āyurveda texts need further validation through different experimental and clinical studies which is a recommendation of this review

Development and Validation of RP-HPLC Method for the Simultaneous Determination of Rabeprazole Sodium and Itopride Hydrochloride in Solid Dosage Form

A simple, sensitive, precise, accurate, rapid and reproducible reverse phase high performance liquid chromatographic procedure is developed for simultaneous determination of rabeprazole sodium and itopride hydrochloride in solid dosage form. The mobile phase used was a combination of acetonitrile: buffer (35:65 v/v) and the pH was adjusted to 7.0 ± 0.1 by addition of triethylamine. The detection of the capsule dosage form was carried out at 266 nm and a flow rate employed was 1 mL/min. Linearity was obtained in the concentration range of 2 to 16 μg/mL of rabeprazole sodium and 5 to 55 μg/mL of itopride hydrochloride with a correlation coefficient of 0.9992 and 0.9996 respectively. The results of the analysis were validated statistically and recovery studies confirmed the accuracy of the proposed method

Bulk Level to Individual Particle Level Chemical Composition of Atmospheric Dust Aerosols (PM5) over a Semi-Arid Urban Zone of Western India (Rajasthan)

Mineral dust particles in the lower atmosphere may significantly influence radiative and optical budgets, along with the net chemical balance, through their interactions with ambient chemicals. Their ability to absotb/scatter incoming radiation strongly depends on their chemical composition (i.e., distribution of major crustal elements), but as yet there is no adequate regional database with regard to this for the Indian region. To create a regional database of background mineral dust from a semi-arid zone of western India, we measured the chemical composition of ambient particles (with aerodynamic diameter <= 5 mu m; PM5), collected from seven locations of Jaipur city (in the vicinity of Thar Desert; Rajasthan) at varying altitudes, during late-winter of 2012. The chemical compositions of the sampled particles at both bulk and individual levels were measured using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Scanning Electron Microscope equipped with Energy Dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) techniques, respectively. Significant differences in chemical compositions were observed among the seven sites, yet the bulk chemical compositions of the particles were broadly consistent with those of individual particles. Average elemental ratios of Mg/Al, Si/Al, K/Al, Ca/Al, Mn/Al, Fe/Al were found to be 0.44 +/- 0.22, 1.96 +/- 0.90, 0.65 +/- 0.22, 1.52 +/- 0.40, 0.84 and 1.54 +/- 1.67, respectively. We also estimated the complex refractive index (RIs at 550 nm wavelength) for the studied sites, yielding an average n and k (the real and imaginary parts of RI, respectively) of (1.56 +/- 0.03) + (6.5 +/- 4.6) x 10(-3)i, with the aerosols collected from Kukas Hill area (27.02 degrees N, 75.85 degrees E) having the highest iron (Fe) mass fraction (similar to 43%). Non-crustal elements e.g., Cu, S, C, Ag and Pb were found only in aerosols over the main city Birla Temple (Jaipur) at ground level (26.89 degrees N, 75.81 degrees E)

Morphology of Atmospheric Particles over Semi-Arid Region (Jaipur, Rajasthan) of India: Implications for Optical Properties

The regional dust morphology and spectral refractive indices (RIs; governed by hematite, Fe2O3 content at short wavelengths) are key elements for ascertaining direct radiative forcing of mineral dust aerosols. To provide morphological features of background mineral dust from a semi-arid zone in the vicinity of the Thar Desert, we carried out an expedition to the Jaipur city during late winter of 2012. Morphological analysis reveals the predominance of "Layered", "Angular" and "Flattened" particles, while the frequency distribution of a total of 235 dust particles shows the aspect ratio, AR and circularity parameter, CIR (measures of particle's non-sphericity) typically similar to 1.4 and similar to 0.8, respectively. Sensitivity analysis at 550 nm wavelength reveals the equivalent sphere model may underestimate Single Scattering Albedo, SSA for the dust with low (similar to 1.1%) hematite by similar to 3.5%. Both underestimation (by similar to 5.6%) and overestimation (up to 9.1%) are probable in case of dust with high hematite content (similar to 5.68%). In addition, the effect of AR on the dust scattering is significant in case of dust with high hematite content. More such regionally representative dust morphological data are required for better estimation of regional radiative forcing of mineral dust aerosols

Artificial Light at Night: A Global Threat to Plant Biological Rhythms and Eco-Physiological Processes

Light is crucial environmental factor for primary resource and signalling in plants and provide optimum fitness under fluctuating environments from millions of year. However, due to urbanization, and human development activities lot of excess light generated in environment during night time and responsible for anthropogenic generated pollution (ALAN; artificial night light pollution). This pollution has cause for serious problem in plants as it affects their processes and functions which are under the control of light or diurnal cycle. Plant biorhythms mostly diurnal rhythms such as stomatal movements, photosynthetic activity, and many more metabolic processes are under the control of period of light and dark, which are crucially affected by artificial light at night. Similarly, the crucial plant processes such as pollination, flowering, and yield determining processes are controlled by the diurnal cycle and ALAN affects these processes and ultimately hampers the plant fitness and development. To keep in mind the effect of artificial light at night on plant biorhythm and eco-physiological processes, this chapter will focus on the status of global artificial night light pollution and the responsible factors. Further, we will explore the details mechanisms of plant biorhythm and eco-physiological processes under artificial light at night and how this mechanism can be a global threat. Then at the end we will focus on the ANLP reducing strategies such as new light policy, advanced lightening technology such as remote sensing and lightening utilisation optimisation

Dynamics of Hot QCD Matter -- Current Status and Developments

The discovery and characterization of hot and dense QCD matter, known as Quark Gluon Plasma (QGP), remains the most international collaborative effort and synergy between theorists and experimentalists in modern nuclear physics to date. The experimentalists around the world not only collect an unprecedented amount of data in heavy-ion collisions, at Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) in New York, USA, and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland but also analyze these data to unravel the mystery of this new phase of matter that filled a few microseconds old universe, just after the Big Bang. In the meantime, advancements in theoretical works and computing capability extend our wisdom about the hot-dense QCD matter and its dynamics through mathematical equations. The exchange of ideas between experimentalists and theoreticians is crucial for the progress of our knowledge. The motivation of this first conference named "HOT QCD Matter 2022" is to bring the community together to have a discourse on this topic. In this article, there are 36 sections discussing various topics in the field of relativistic heavy-ion collisions and related phenomena that cover a snapshot of the current experimental observations and theoretical progress. This article begins with the theoretical overview of relativistic spin-hydrodynamics in the presence of the external magnetic field, followed by the Lattice QCD results on heavy quarks in QGP, and finally, it ends with an overview of experiment results.Comment: Compilation of the contributions (148 pages) as presented in the `Hot QCD Matter 2022 conference', held from May 12 to 14, 2022, jointly organized by IIT Goa & Goa University, Goa, Indi

Global burden and strength of evidence for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Understanding the health consequences associated with exposure to risk factors is necessary to inform public health policy and practice. To systematically quantify the contributions of risk factor exposures to specific health outcomes, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 aims to provide comprehensive estimates of exposure levels, relative health risks, and attributable burden of disease for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, from 1990 to 2021. Methods: The GBD 2021 risk factor analysis used data from 54 561 total distinct sources to produce epidemiological estimates for 88 risk factors and their associated health outcomes for a total of 631 risk–outcome pairs. Pairs were included on the basis of data-driven determination of a risk–outcome association. Age-sex-location-year-specific estimates were generated at global, regional, and national levels. Our approach followed the comparative risk assessment framework predicated on a causal web of hierarchically organised, potentially combinative, modifiable risks. Relative risks (RRs) of a given outcome occurring as a function of risk factor exposure were estimated separately for each risk–outcome pair, and summary exposure values (SEVs), representing risk-weighted exposure prevalence, and theoretical minimum risk exposure levels (TMRELs) were estimated for each risk factor. These estimates were used to calculate the population attributable fraction (PAF; ie, the proportional change in health risk that would occur if exposure to a risk factor were reduced to the TMREL). The product of PAFs and disease burden associated with a given outcome, measured in disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), yielded measures of attributable burden (ie, the proportion of total disease burden attributable to a particular risk factor or combination of risk factors). Adjustments for mediation were applied to account for relationships involving risk factors that act indirectly on outcomes via intermediate risks. Attributable burden estimates were stratified by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintile and presented as counts, age-standardised rates, and rankings. To complement estimates of RR and attributable burden, newly developed burden of proof risk function (BPRF) methods were applied to yield supplementary, conservative interpretations of risk–outcome associations based on the consistency of underlying evidence, accounting for unexplained heterogeneity between input data from different studies. Estimates reported represent the mean value across 500 draws from the estimate's distribution, with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) calculated as the 2·5th and 97·5th percentile values across the draws. Findings: Among the specific risk factors analysed for this study, particulate matter air pollution was the leading contributor to the global disease burden in 2021, contributing 8·0% (95% UI 6·7–9·4) of total DALYs, followed by high systolic blood pressure (SBP; 7·8% [6·4–9·2]), smoking (5·7% [4·7–6·8]), low birthweight and short gestation (5·6% [4·8–6·3]), and high fasting plasma glucose (FPG; 5·4% [4·8–6·0]). For younger demographics (ie, those aged 0–4 years and 5–14 years), risks such as low birthweight and short gestation and unsafe water, sanitation, and handwashing (WaSH) were among the leading risk factors, while for older age groups, metabolic risks such as high SBP, high body-mass index (BMI), high FPG, and high LDL cholesterol had a greater impact. From 2000 to 2021, there was an observable shift in global health challenges, marked by a decline in the number of all-age DALYs broadly attributable to behavioural risks (decrease of 20·7% [13·9–27·7]) and environmental and occupational risks (decrease of 22·0% [15·5–28·8]), coupled with a 49·4% (42·3–56·9) increase in DALYs attributable to metabolic risks, all reflecting ageing populations and changing lifestyles on a global scale. Age-standardised global DALY rates attributable to high BMI and high FPG rose considerably (15·7% [9·9–21·7] for high BMI and 7·9% [3·3–12·9] for high FPG) over this period, with exposure to these risks increasing annually at rates of 1·8% (1·6–1·9) for high BMI and 1·3% (1·1–1·5) for high FPG. By contrast, the global risk-attributable burden and exposure to many other risk factors declined, notably for risks such as child growth failure and unsafe water source, with age-standardised attributable DALYs decreasing by 71·5% (64·4–78·8) for child growth failure and 66·3% (60·2–72·0) for unsafe water source. We separated risk factors into three groups according to trajectory over time: those with a decreasing attributable burden, due largely to declining risk exposure (eg, diet high in trans-fat and household air pollution) but also to proportionally smaller child and youth populations (eg, child and maternal malnutrition); those for which the burden increased moderately in spite of declining risk exposure, due largely to population ageing (eg, smoking); and those for which the burden increased considerably due to both increasing risk exposure and population ageing (eg, ambient particulate matter air pollution, high BMI, high FPG, and high SBP). Interpretation: Substantial progress has been made in reducing the global disease burden attributable to a range of risk factors, particularly those related to maternal and child health, WaSH, and household air pollution. Maintaining efforts to minimise the impact of these risk factors, especially in low SDI locations, is necessary to sustain progress. Successes in moderating the smoking-related burden by reducing risk exposure highlight the need to advance policies that reduce exposure to other leading risk factors such as ambient particulate matter air pollution and high SBP. Troubling increases in high FPG, high BMI, and other risk factors related to obesity and metabolic syndrome indicate an urgent need to identify and implement interventions

Global incidence, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 371 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Detailed, comprehensive, and timely reporting on population health by underlying causes of disability and premature death is crucial to understanding and responding to complex patterns of disease and injury burden over time and across age groups, sexes, and locations. The availability of disease burden estimates can promote evidence-based interventions that enable public health researchers, policy makers, and other professionals to implement strategies that can mitigate diseases. It can also facilitate more rigorous monitoring of progress towards national and international health targets, such as the Sustainable Development Goals. For three decades, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) has filled that need. A global network of collaborators contributed to the production of GBD 2021 by providing, reviewing, and analysing all available data. GBD estimates are updated routinely with additional data and refined analytical methods. GBD 2021 presents, for the first time, estimates of health loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The GBD 2021 disease and injury burden analysis estimated years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 371 diseases and injuries using 100 983 data sources. Data were extracted from vital registration systems, verbal autopsies, censuses, household surveys, disease-specific registries, health service contact data, and other sources. YLDs were calculated by multiplying cause-age-sex-location-year-specific prevalence of sequelae by their respective disability weights, for each disease and injury. YLLs were calculated by multiplying cause-age-sex-location-year-specific deaths by the standard life expectancy at the age that death occurred. DALYs were calculated by summing YLDs and YLLs. HALE estimates were produced using YLDs per capita and age-specific mortality rates by location, age, sex, year, and cause. 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated for all final estimates as the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles values of 500 draws. Uncertainty was propagated at each step of the estimation process. Counts and age-standardised rates were calculated globally, for seven super-regions, 21 regions, 204 countries and territories (including 21 countries with subnational locations), and 811 subnational locations, from 1990 to 2021. Here we report data for 2010 to 2021 to highlight trends in disease burden over the past decade and through the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings: Global DALYs increased from 2·63 billion (95% UI 2·44–2·85) in 2010 to 2·88 billion (2·64–3·15) in 2021 for all causes combined. Much of this increase in the number of DALYs was due to population growth and ageing, as indicated by a decrease in global age-standardised all-cause DALY rates of 14·2% (95% UI 10·7–17·3) between 2010 and 2019. Notably, however, this decrease in rates reversed during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, with increases in global age-standardised all-cause DALY rates since 2019 of 4·1% (1·8–6·3) in 2020 and 7·2% (4·7–10·0) in 2021. In 2021, COVID-19 was the leading cause of DALYs globally (212·0 million [198·0–234·5] DALYs), followed by ischaemic heart disease (188·3 million [176·7–198·3]), neonatal disorders (186·3 million [162·3–214·9]), and stroke (160·4 million [148·0–171·7]). However, notable health gains were seen among other leading communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional (CMNN) diseases. Globally between 2010 and 2021, the age-standardised DALY rates for HIV/AIDS decreased by 47·8% (43·3–51·7) and for diarrhoeal diseases decreased by 47·0% (39·9–52·9). Non-communicable diseases contributed 1·73 billion (95% UI 1·54–1·94) DALYs in 2021, with a decrease in age-standardised DALY rates since 2010 of 6·4% (95% UI 3·5–9·5). Between 2010 and 2021, among the 25 leading Level 3 causes, age-standardised DALY rates increased most substantially for anxiety disorders (16·7% [14·0–19·8]), depressive disorders (16·4% [11·9–21·3]), and diabetes (14·0% [10·0–17·4]). Age-standardised DALY rates due to injuries decreased globally by 24·0% (20·7–27·2) between 2010 and 2021, although improvements were not uniform across locations, ages, and sexes. Globally, HALE at birth improved slightly, from 61·3 years (58·6–63·6) in 2010 to 62·2 years (59·4–64·7) in 2021. However, despite this overall increase, HALE decreased by 2·2% (1·6–2·9) between 2019 and 2021. Interpretation: Putting the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of a mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive list of causes of health loss is crucial to understanding its impact and ensuring that health funding and policy address needs at both local and global levels through cost-effective and evidence-based interventions. A global epidemiological transition remains underway. Our findings suggest that prioritising non-communicable disease prevention and treatment policies, as well as strengthening health systems, continues to be crucially important. The progress on reducing the burden of CMNN diseases must not stall; although global trends are improving, the burden of CMNN diseases remains unacceptably high. Evidence-based interventions will help save the lives of young children and mothers and improve the overall health and economic conditions of societies across the world. Governments and multilateral organisations should prioritise pandemic preparedness planning alongside efforts to reduce the burden of diseases and injuries that will strain resources in the coming decades. Funding: Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation