A Peaceable Kingdom in the East: Favourable Early Seventeenth-Century Representations of the Moghul Empire

Cet article a pour objet de comparer les perspectives divergentes des Portugais, des Danois et des Anglais vis-à-vis de l’empire mughal en se fondant sur les récits de voyages britanniques du dix-septième siècle. Si les Portugais qualifiaient les autochtones d’«étrangers» barbares, les Britanniques, qui formaient la English East India Company, avide d’échanges avec l’empire, considéraient l’aristocratie mughal et les Musulmans comme des partenaires commerciaux civilisés et dotés d’une riche culture. Bien que les premiers voyageurs brossent un sombre tableau du peuple hindou, qui n’avait pas de liens directs avec la English East India Company, les auteurs des récits de voyages britanniques décrivent l’empire mughal comme un peuple hautement civilisé et faisant preuve d’une tolérance singulière à l’égard des autres religions

Effect of an herb root extract, herbal dentifrice and synthetic dentifrice on human salivary amylase

Background: Salivary amylase is an enzyme, which plays a vital role in formation of dental plaque. It has the ability to bind on the bacterial surfaces and to hydrolyze starch, giving rise to products that are transformed into acids leading to dental caries. Suppression of salivary amylase activity can lead to decrease in risk of dental caries and plaque associated periodontal diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an herb, Spilanthes calva (in form of a test dentifrice) on human salivary amylase activity and to compare it with other dentifrices. Materials and Methods: A total of 80 subjects of age 18-35 years were randomly selected and divided equally into 4 groups. Group 1 subjects were assigned to use Test Dentifrice (with S. calva root extract), while Group 2, Group 3, and Group 4 subjects were assigned to use Herbal Dentifrice (Arodent™ ), Synthetic Dentifrice (Colgate ® ), and Control Dentifrice respectively. Salivary amylase activity was determined by Bernfeld method in each group, before and after using the given dentifrices. Results: Maximum inhibition of salivary amylase activity was found in the group using test dentifrice as compared to others. Conclusion: The present study indicates that, the root extract of S. calva possess significant inhibitory activity for salivary amylase. Use of S. calva root extract will provide a wider protection against different pathogenic oral microflora. Use of this extract singly or in combination is strongly recommended in the dentifrice formulations

Impact of primary headaches on subjective sleep parameters among adolescents

Context: Headache patients commonly report sleep disruption and sleep disorders. Available literature suggests that the sleep pattern of headache sufferers is different from the control group. Patients in these studies were recruited from headache clinics; they did not include tension type headache. Aims: The aim of this study is to find out whether primary headaches affect sleep patterns. Settings and Design: Community based cross sectional study Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in three high schools. Children in the 12-19 age group were allowed to participate. They were given a questionnaire in the presence of at least one of the authors, who assisted them in filling it. They were asked to provide responses based on most severe recurrent headache that they had experienced rather than the more frequent ones. The questionnaire included questions regarding demographic data and the characteristics of headache according to International Classification of Headache Disorders-2 criteria. Part B of the questionnaire contained questions regarding sleep habits. The children were asked to provide data regarding sleep habits on a normal school day. Diagnosis was based upon the information contained in the questionnaire. A telephonic interview was also done, where the information provided was found inadequate. Statistical Analysis Used: Analysis was done with the help of SPSS v. 11.0., descriptive analysis, Chi square, and one way ANOVA with post hoc analysis. Kruskall-Wallis tests were run. Results: A total of 1862 subjects were included in the study. Migraineurs and tension type headache sufferers comprised 35.7% and 13.4% of the group respectively. Migraineurs had the highest prevalence of nocturnal awakenings ( P < 0.001), abnormal movements ( P =0.001) and breathing problems during sleep ( P < 0.001). Approximately half the migraineurs felt sleepy during the day ( P < 0.001) and spent around 1.17 hours in sleep during the day ( P = 0.007). Similarly, values for frequency of nocturnal awakenings per week ( P < 0.001), wake time after sleep onset and offset ( P < 0.001 and 0.002 respectively) were the maximum in migraineurs. Only 32.8% migraineurs reported refreshing sleep ( P < 0.001). Post hoc analysis revealed that migraineurs were different from the other two groups on most of the parameters. Conclusions: Sleep disruption is more common in migraineurs than those in the tension type headache sufferers and the control group

Study of 25 cases of exchange transfusion by reconstituted blood in hemolytic disease of newborn

This study was aimed to review and establish the practice of exchange transfusion (ET) with reconstituted blood in neonates and to observe fall of bilirubin and its comparison with related studies. Twenty-five neonates diagnosed as hemolytic disease of newborn (HDN) were selected for this study, in which exchange transfusion was carried out as one of the treatments for hyperbilirubinemia. Out of the 25 cases, 15 were of Rhesus (Rh) HDN, while ABO and other blood groups constituted 6 and 4 HDN cases respectively. First, the neonates's and mother's blood samples were subjected to relevant investigations. After that, for neonates having Rh HDN, O Rh negative cells suspended in AB plasma were given, O Rh positive cells suspended in AB plasma were given to ABO HDN; and O positive cells, which were indirect Coomb's cross-matched compatible with neonates’ and mother's serum / plasma, suspended in AB plasma were given to the neonates having HDN because of other blood group antibodies. The exchange transfusion (ET) was carried out taking all aseptic precautions by Push-Pull technique with double-volume exchange transfusion method. The average post-exchange fall in serum indirect bilirubin was (52.01%) in all 25 cases, which was found to be more significant than the previous studies. Looking into the superiority of the exchange transfusion in HDN by reconstituted blood, the reconstituted blood can be modified and supplied as per the requirement and conditions