STANDARDIZATION OF NEIKURI (OIL DROP TEST OF URINE) - A SIDDHA DIAGNOSTIC METHOD

Neikuri is an antique method of urine examination, based on distribution of oil drop in urine which is a remarkable diagnostic and prognostic tool in Siddha system of medicine. Even though these diagnostic method not commonly used in clinical practice and elaborate scientific studies of Neikuri are lacking. Aim: The aim of the study was to test the protocols of the examination of Neikuri for the standardization. Materials and methods: 100 patients were selected and studied with twelve parameters to test the Neikuri. Correlation was considered between the reading of Neikuri and Naadi. Results: Based on the observation, the urine needs to place in a circular glass utensil (3.5 inch petri dish preferable) and a drop (0.25 – 0.5?L) of sesame oil derived from black sesame seeds need to placed less than 2mm height from the surface of the urine, in day time to test the Neikuri. Further the test needs to perform within one and a half an hour from the collection of urine. Conclusion: In conclusion we suggest the methods could be used as a standard protocol for testing Neikuri

Evaluate the association between Vitamin D and bone mineral density among postmenopausal women: A prospective observational study

AIM OF THE STUDY: Prospective observational study to evaluate the association between vitamin D and bone mineral density among postmenopausal women. OBJECTIVES: 1. Whether level of vitamin D at which patients are prone for osteoporosis can be ascertained. 2. Whether supplementation with vitamin D can prevent or delay the onset of osteoporosis can be predicted. STUDY DESIGN: A Prospective observational study between September 2013 to september 2014 at Kilpauk medical college hospital,Chennai. METHOD: Women attending Gynaec OP with age more than 50 years or postmenopausal after getting informed consent for the study were evaluated by Questionnaire, General examination, Pelvic examination, Basic investigations, Serum 25(OH) vitamin D levels. Bone mineral density using DEXA machine In my study , findings showed a mean vitamin D levels of 30.926 ng/ml, in patients with adequate bone mineral density. Where as in patients with osteopenia, mean vitamin D levels were 24.722 ng/ml and in patients with osteoporosis, mean levels were 22.841ng/ml. This observation is statistically significant [ P < 0.05 ].The fact that even though these patients are osteoporotic they had slightly higher vitamin D levels when compared to osteopenic group is probably related to insufficient number in the osteoporotic group. • So from my study, we predicted a cut-off value of vitamin D to diagnose osteopenia and osteoporosis. For diagnosing osteopenia, by keeping vitamin D level of <= 27.3 as cut-off, sensitivity is 88.8% and specificity is 77.1%. Whereas for osteoporosis ,by keeping vitamin D level of <= 23 as cut-off, sensitivity is 94.8% and specifity is 94.3%. • So we can diagnose both osteopenia and osteoporosis by measuring vitamin D levels, which is cheaper with no adverse effects. Vitamin D is less costlier, and no adverse effects like radiation as in DEXA imaging which is most commonly used to diagnose osteoporosis. • A study by Daniele et al studied the effect of calcium and vitamin D on BMD and bone mineral content in peri & post menopausal women. It is a double blinded randomized control study. The results showed a positive effect of calcium and vitamin D supplementation on bone mineral density and bone mineral content in both peri & postmenopausal women. This is in accordance with our study. • A study by lucy cooper et al, a double blinded placebo controlled study which compares the effect of calcium Vs calcium and vitamin D in postmenopausal women. Results were vitamin D and calcium did not confer benefits on BMD than with calcium supplementation alone. • A study by Francisco et al showed positive association between vitamin D and BMD in postmenopausal women. There is high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in postmenopausal women which is in accordance with our study. • A study by labronite et al showed no independent association between vitamin D and BMD in healthy postmenopausal women which is in contrast to our study which showed a significant association between vitamin D and BMD. CONCLUSION: There exists a positive association between vitamin D and bone mineral density. Obesity doesn’t show any significant relation with bone mineral density. As age increases, bone mineral density decreases. Inverse relationship exists between age and bone mineral density

Formulation and Evaluation of Herbal Antidandruff Gel and Determination of the Effect of Herbal Adjuvants on the Enhancement of Antidandruff Activity

Eight batches of Herbal Antidandruff gel were formulated. All the formulated gels were subjected to Physiochemical evaluations such as Clearance, pH, Homogeneity, Spreadability, Extrudability, Viscosity, Drug content were evaluated. Based on the Physicochemical evaluations formulation F5, F6, F7 and F8 were selected as the optimized gel formulation. Based on the phytochemical screening as well as HPTLC method on Aqueous extract of Emblica officinalis and Citrus limonum are rich in bioactive compounds. However, further studies are needed in order to isolate, identify, characterize and elucidate the structure of the bioactive compounds responsible for antidandruff activity. The FTIR graphs of active constituents, excipients and formulations results showed that there is no extra peak (or) broadening of peaks were observed and thus it indicates that there was no incompatibility between active constituents and excipients. For the above selected formulations, in-vitro release profiles were performed. The data obtained from in vitro release profile after 5 hours was fitted with various kinetic equations to determine the mechanism of active constituents release and release rate as indicated by higher correlation coefficients (r2). The active constituents release from gel formulation follows zero order and non-fickian diffusion. Base on the in-vitro release profile it was found that release of active constituents from prepared gels followed first order kinetics. To confirm the release mechanism, the data of F5, F6, F7, F8 release were applied to Korsmeyer- peppas equation to find out the release exponent „n‟, which indicates the mechanism of drug diffusion from the gel formulation. Then they were subjected to Screening of antimicrobial activity. The Antimicrobial screening result showed that the formulation F8 was highly inhibit the fungi and bacterial growth around the patch. So F8 was selected for further evaluations such as Skin irritation , Ex- vivo and stability studies. The Skin irritation study of F8 gel formulation produced no erythema and edema in the animals during 21 days of study. Hence it is concluded that Herbal antidandruff gel is safe to use. The Ex-vivo studies showed the diffusion property of the herbal antidandruff gel formulation (F8) through the skin at the end of 5 hours. The stability study were performed for the selected formulation (F8) by both the technique as per the ICH guidelines. The gel was subjected to stability study at 40oC±2oC and 75±5% RH, samples were withdrawn on 1 month, 2 month ,3 month and analysed. The result shown that the product is stable for 3 months without change in physical changes . Since the antimicrobial studies has given encouraging results in enhancing the antidandruff activity of F8 formulation , it is concluded that the F8 Herbal antidandruff gel may be subjected to further in-vivo and clinical trials

Role of Serum creatinine in forecasting the outcome after cardiac surgery beyond acute kidney injury-A Cross sectional Study

Objectives: Acute kidney damage (Acute kidney injury [AKI]) is defined by elevations in serum creatinine levels that occur after surgery. In cardiac surgery, creatinine is a critical determinant. This study highlights the detection of serum creatinine as an early diagnostic and predictive marker of AKI following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and to estimate the serum creatinine concentrations before and at 24 and 48 h after CABG. Methods: It is a single center, Cross-sectional study. Patients from Cardiothoracic and Vascular surgery undergoing CABG in Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute were included in the study. A total of 80 cases were included in the study. The method used for measurement of serum creatinine is by modification of kinetic Jaffe reaction. Data were analyzed using Stata/SE version 16.0 and represented in terms of means, standard deviation at 95% confidence level and t’ test was performed as statistical analysis and p&lt;0.05 indicates significance. Sigma plot software version 10.0 was used to draw the standard error mean graphs. Results: The serum creatinine values at 24 h after the surgery was statistically higher than the preoperative values at 5% significance level (p=0.04). The serum creatinine values 48 h after the surgery was also statistically higher than the preoperative values at 1% significance level (p=0.001). The serum creatinine values 48 h after surgery are highly significant (p=0.001) when compared to the serum creatinine values 24 h after surgery. Conclusion: Before an increase in serum creatinine level is detected, over 50% of renal function must be lost. It was concluded that serum creatinine is an inadequate and delayed marker of AKI

Energy Meter Data Analysis Using Machine Learning Techniques

With the advancement of technology, existence of energy meters are not merely to measure energy units. The proliferation of energy meter deployments had led to significant interest in analyzing the energy usage by the machines. Energy meter data is often difficult to analyzeowing to the aggregation of many disparate and complex loads. At utility scales, analysis is further complicated by the vast quantity of data and hence industries turn towards applying machine learning techniques for monitoring and measuring loads of the machines. The energy meter data analysis aims at analyzing the behavior of the machine and providing insights on usage of the energy. This will help the industries to identify the faults in the machine and to rectify it.Two use cases with two different motor specifications is considered for evaluation and the efficiency is proved by considering accuracy, precision, F-measure and recall as metrics

Potential of distillery effluents for safe water through vermifiltration

Vermifiltration of wastewater using waste eater earthworms is a newly conceived novel technology. The present study evaluated BOD, COD and TS showing significant variation in decrease by 95%, 90% and 80% respectively through vermifiltration of distillery effluents. The nutrient contents (TN, TP, TK, TCa and TMg) in the vermicasts had increase (1.82 % in TN, 0.24% in TP, 2.15% in TK, 2.07% in TCa and 2.86 % in TMg) in the range of fold than the control level. The morphology of the control and experimental vermicast samples were analyzed with SEM and the image showed significant variation. The FT-IR spectrum analysis showed reduction of aliphatic/aromatic (C=C and OH) compounds in the vermicompost. Thus, the present study significantly highlights the vermifiltration technology in treating distillery effluent

Evaluation of Groundwater Quality for Drinking and Agricultural Purpose

This study examines a variety of chosen groundwater samples from Mohanur, which has issues with its quality for drinking and agricultural use. Reading the study's findings will give you crucial information status of the ground water in Mohanur and can assist in locating the domestic and industrial sources of contamination. This is very helpful in guiding future research to pinpoint and reduce the issue of ground water pollution and helps to take action to address the problem. When a body of water is harmed by anthropogenic toxins, it is often considered to as polluted when it either cannot be used for human purposes, such as drinking water, or when its ability to support its biotic populations significantly changes. Despite their interdependence, surface water and groundwater have frequently been researched and managed as separate resources. In this study, 14 significant parameters were picked to calculate the water quality index. The World Health Organization (WHO) and Indian Council for Medical Research's criteria (ICMR) for the quality of drinking water were used to create the Water Quality Index (WQI). In this study, the weighted arithmetic index approach was employed to calculate WQI

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS): Approach to traditional systems, natural and bio-chemical compounds for its management

521-527Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a multifactorial endocrine disorder which is characterized by chronic anovulation. Irregular periods, hirsutism, weight gain are the other signs of PCOS. The prevalence of PCOS worldwide is between 6% and 26% while in India it was 3.7% to 22.5%. PCOS is the most prevailing female endocrine disorder and the preeminent cause of infertility. Risk factors that contribute to the development of PCOS include genetics, neuroendocrine system, sedentary lifestyle, diet, and obesity. Modern medicine has found many ways to heal. Synthetic drugs such as metformin and oral contraceptive pills were available in the market, but because of their side effects, people depend on traditional and herbal medicines. This review provides a detailed approach to different types of traditional and natural systems for the treatment and management of PCOS. Different approaches to managing PCOS include the traditional system of drugs, herbal remedies, herbs, and Phyto-ingredients that have proven their potential in treating PCOS. Traditional medicine includes Unani, Ayurveda, Siddha, naturopathy, yoga, and homeopathy. In addition to treatment, yoga also has potential in treating PCOS

Donkey milk: chemical make-up, biochemical features, nutritional worth, and possible human health benefits - Current state of scientific knowledge

Milk and milk derivatives are widely consumed because of their high nutritional density. Donkey milk and milk products have been consumed since ancient times. The use of donkey milk in the human diet is gaining popularity. The abundance of antibacterial components and protective elements in donkey milk sets it apart from the milk of other animals. Like human milk, donkey milk has low fat, high lactose, and low casein/whey protein ratio. Donkey milk whey protein's anti-proliferative properties imply lung cancer treatment. Alpha-lactalbumin, a type of protein, has been found to have antiviral, anticancer, and anti-stress properties. Donkey milk, like human milk, includes a low amount of casein and a smaller quantity of beta-lactoglobulin than cow milk. Donkey milk is an alternative for newborns with cow milk protein allergy and lactose intolerance since it has a higher amount of lactose, improves palatability, and prevents allergies. Osteogenesis, arteriosclerosis therapy, cardiac rehabilitation, accelerated aging, and hypocholesterolemic diets are some areas where donkey milk is beneficial. Since it contains probiotic lactobacilli strains, fermented beverages can be made with donkey milk. Donkey milk moisturizes skin due to its high vitamin, mineral, and polyunsaturated fatty acid content. The chemical makeup and potential therapeutic benefits of donkey milk warrant additional research. This has led to a rise in interest in producing dairy goods derived from donkey milk. Donkey milk has been used to make cheese, ice cream, milk powder, and even some experimental useful fermented drinks. The present article summarises what we know about donkey milk's chemical makeup, biological functions, nutritional worth, and possible human health benefits

Bioinformatics Based: in Silico Docking Analysis of Polyherbal Formulation for The Management of Parkinson’s Disease (Nadukku Vatham)

Background: The discipline of Siddha medicine, particularly herbal formulations, can benefit greatly from the use of molecular docking because it enables the molecular interactions of the formulation’s lead molecules with receptors to be understood, as well as the inference of the formulation's basic biochemical targets.&nbsp; Aim: The goal of this study is to carry out an In-silico computational analysis of the phytochemicals found in Kuruver Kudineer (KK), a traditional Siddha remedy that is used for managing behavioral deficit in Parkinsons disease.&nbsp; Methodology: The ligand structures were developed and optimized using Auto Dock Tools (Morris, Goodsell et al., 1998). Using Auto dock Vina, the compounds were all docked. The function of the target protein Monoamine Oxidase -A (PDB 2Z5X), which is involved in the breakdown of the neurotransmitters by MAO-A, will be inhibited by the creation of a hydrogen bond between phytocomponents and the target's core amino acids (Tyr 69, Ile 335, Tyr 407, and Tyr 444). In order to control the dopamine level, phytocomponents that inhibit the target enzyme MAO-A may be used as potential targets. Results: The compounds present in Kuruver Kudineer (KK) like Gingerenone-A, Betulinic acid, Zingiberene, Rutin, Geniposide and β-sitosterol showed maximum interactions with MAO –A when compared to that of Clorgyline. According to the outcomes of the computational investigation, the bio-active substances present in the Siddha formulation Kuruver Kudineer (KK) have significant affinity to the target MAO-A (PDB 2Z5X). Conclusions: From the results of the present study, it was concluded that the MAO – A reveal significant effect to managing the behavioral deficit and thereby considered an excellent drug choice for the clinical management of Parkinson’s disease (Nadukku vatham