Arbudahar Effect of Bhallataka: A Case Report

Agadtantra is branch of Ayurveda toxicology, which works around poisons and its treatment. The traditional texts mentioned medicinal properties of some poisons, however poison can acts as drug only after Shodhan (Purification) measure i.e.; Bhallataka (Semicarpus Anacardium) a poisonous drug offers Arbudahar property after being purified. The Ayurveda branch which associated with the diseases and treatment of Eye, Ear, Nose, Throat and Shira region is termed as Shalakyatantra. There are many diseases which arise from these body parts and Arbuda in neck region is one of them. Poisonous drug Bhallataka (Semicarpus anacardium) provides Arbudahar property and can be used after proper purification and precautionary measures. This article presented a case report on Arbudahar effect of Bhallataka

Governance, leadership and economic growth in Singapore

Although Singapore inherited the same British model of governance as other Commonwealth states, its governing system has become widely known for efficiency and competence, especially in terms of its role in generating an “economic miracle.” Economic growth has remained consistently high—at an average annual rate of 9.8 percent in the 1970s and 8.2 percent in the 1980s. Between 1988 and 1997, its Gross Domestic Product or GDP increased more than 2.5 times; between 1993 and 1997, it continued to rank very high in terms of its business-friendly environment; and by 1994, its per capita GDP (US$20,000) surpassed that of Australia, Canada, and the UK. These state-led economic achievements make Singapore a good case for studying contemporary reforms in governance based on the principle of the rolling back of the state’s economic management. While most countries have adopted the above mentioned business oriented governance reforms due to the alleged inefficiency and mismanagement of the public sector, the Singapore government has introduced such reforms despite its efficient and well-managed public sector. Moreover, although many developing countries with heavy external debt have adopted privatization and deregulation, liberalized trade and investment, and restructured their state bureaucracy according to the principles of the “New Public Management” (NPM), often in response to conditions imposed by international aid agencies, Singapore is virtually free from external debt and thus free from such direct external pressure to adopt these reforms.Against this context this article tries to explain the role of governance and leadership in administration which fostered economic growth in Singapore. Singapore governance system has been consistently rated by Transparency International as one of the most politically transparent and least corrupt governments in the world, but is also often being criticized for excessive interference in social issues.The article highlights how rapid socio economic transformation and quality of life was made possible through the ruling political party’s [PAP] brave attempt to liberalize the economy and attract foreign capital through various measures. The pervasive role of government is visible in all aspects of economic life in Singapore making it classic example of the direct relationship between transparency and economic development

Final Project Report: Glucose Monitoring Group

Retroreflectors can potentially be used in the design of a minimally invasive glucose-monitoring device. The primary objective of this senior design project is to design, build, and test a system to show that retroreflectors can be detected through a semi-opaque medium similar to human tissue. The secondary objective is to determine if the system can detect the retroreflectors through blood with and without gold nanoparticles. The design constraints of the project are described as well as the design of the apparatus, the test setup and procedure protocols for the project, the results of these tests, and a conceptual design. Data from the test procedure is collected by using a HeNe laser that shines through one converging lenses, an iris, a beam splitter, a semi-opaque medium to emulate human tissue, and gold nanoparticles that mimic glucose molecules in blood. The light hits a retroreflector that sends the light back through the beam splitter to a photodiode that is hooked up to a digital multimeter to measure the detected signal. A full factorial two factor Design of Experiments (DOE) with three levels is used to test the apparatus. Nanoparticle concentration and angle of incidence on the retroreflector are the dependent variables. The DOE is run two times for the water medium, but the testing of semi-opaque media are unable to be performed due to scattering of the beam. In deionized water, minimal interaction effects between nanoparticle concentration and angle are observed, and light scattering appears to increase as nanoparticle concentration increases. In blood, significant interaction effects are observed, and light scattering appears to decrease as nanoparticle concentration increases. This unexpected trend is likely due to unforeseen interactions between the nanoparticles and the solutes in blood. It is concluded that the apparatus is sufficient to provide results for the water medium, and insufficient for more opaque media due to scattering. Altered nanoparticles are needed for testing in blood

Mediating effects of generation Y work values’ in human resource practices and employee retention in Malaysia

Employee retention has received much attention especially in Western world. However it has generated limited empirical research in Malaysia despite its perennial importance. Employee retention can improve the organisation’s competitive advantage which is currently one of the biggest challenges faced by organisations. Low employee retention or in other words, high employee turnover in Malaysia hovered around 16%from 2009 to 2016 and out of which, 78% of the total turnover was contributed by the manufacturing sector. The working environment in the manufacturing sector is generally more hazardous and strenuous in nature comparatively with other sectors. Additionally, Generation Y representing over 50% of the total work force and hold predominant role in the employment market in Malaysia are known to have different work values as compared to their predecessor generations thus making employee retention even more complex. Therefore, organisations should not structure a one-sizefit- all and generic employee retention practices. Instead careful planning and implementation of human resources practices will be required with the aim to retain Generation Y at their workplace. Moreover, it has been argued that monetary human resource practices i.e. compensation and pay is no longer sustainable and instrumental for employee retention. Hence, in this light, this study focuses on non-monetary human resource practices such career development, succession planning and work life balance to prove its 7 research hypotheses where there are other human resource practices beyond compensation which could retain employees. The Generation Y work values do have mediating effect in the relationship of the human resource practices and employee retention. Additionally, the population of this study will be individuals employed in the electrical and electronics manufacturing organisations and the sample size will be a minimum of 384. A mixed method research will be employed to integrate the quantitative and qualitative research with the aim of providing a more complete understanding of the research problem. (Abstract by authors

A comparative study of antihyperglycemic effect of Gymnema sylvestre and metformin in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder that has the phenotype of hyperglycemia. According to World Health Organization (WHO) there were 65.1 million diabetics in India in 2013, International Diabetes Federation estimates this to increase to 190 million by 2035. Although a number of drugs are available for treatment of DM, their cost and safety profile are major concern. Medicinal plants are used by clinicians for treatment of diabetes. Gymnema sylvestre (GS) extract has been reported to increase insulin levels in diabetic rats. This study was designed to compare the antihyperglycemic effect of Gymnema sylvestre with metformin.Methods: Diabetes was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats using streptozotocin 45mg/kg. Methanolic extract of Gymnema sylvestre 120mg/kg p.o. prepared using Soxhlet apparatus.Results: GS extract reduced blood glucose levels but not statistically significant. GS extract increased HDL and triglycerides, reduced both serum ALT and AST but no statistical significance seen. Metformin significantly increased serum urea, which was not seen in GS extract group. GS extract showed regenerative changes in pancreas, liver and kidney.Conclusions: The study investigation demonstrates that methanolic extract of GS possesses antihyperglycemic and hypolipidaemic activity and so it can be considered as a promising natural remedy in a prediabetic state and in mild hyperlipidaemia to prevent its progression. Increase in β cell regeneration activity could be a probable mechanism of action. However, further long term clinical studies are recommended to define its possible role in diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidaemia. Role of GS as a potential hepatoprotective agent also needs further evaluation

A rapid, flexible method for incorporating controlled antibiotic release into porous polymethylmethacrylate space maintainers for craniofacial reconstruction

Severe injuries in the craniofacial complex, resulting from trauma or pathology, present several challenges to functional and aesthetic reconstruction. The anatomy and position of the craniofacial region make it vulnerable to injury and subsequent local infection due to external bacteria as well as those from neighbouring structures like the sinuses, nasal passages, and mouth. Porous polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) “space maintainers” have proven useful in staged craniofacial reconstruction by promoting healing of overlying soft tissue prior to reconstruction of craniofacial bones. We describe herein a method by which the porosity of a prefabricated porous PMMA space maintainer, generated by porogen leaching, can be loaded with a thermogelling copolymer-based drug delivery system. Porogen leaching, space maintainer prewetting, and thermogel loading all significantly affected the loading of a model antibiotic, colistin. Weeks-long release of antibiotic at clinically relevant levels was achieved with several formulations. In vitro assays confirmed that the released colistin maintained its antibiotic activity against several bacterial targets. Our results suggest that this method is a valuable tool in the development of novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of severe complex, infected craniofacial injuries

Spread of Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa

Background In 2005 a cluster of 53 HIV-infected patients with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) was detected in the Msinga sub-district, the catchment area for the Church of Scotland Hospital (CoSH) in Tugela Ferry, in KwaZulu-Natal province (KZN), South Africa. KZN is divided into 11 healthcare districts. We sought to determine the distribution of XDR TB cases in the province in relation to population density. Methods In this cross-sectional study, the KZN tuberculosis laboratory database was analysed. Results of all patients with a sputum culture positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis from January 2006 to June 2007 were included. Drug-susceptibility test results for isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, streptomycin, kanamycin and ofloxacin were available for all patients as well as the location of the hospital where their clinical diagnosis was made. Findings In total, 20858 patients attending one of 73 hospitals or their adjacent clinics had cultures positive for M. tuberculosis. Of these, 4170 (20%) were MDR-TB cases. Four hundred and forty three (11%) of the MDR tuberculosis cases displayed the XDR tuberculosis susceptibility profile. Only 1429 (34%) of the MDR-TB patients were seen at the provincial referral hospital for treatment. The proportion of XDR-TB amongst culture-confirmed cases was highest in the Msinga sub-district (19.6%), followed by the remaining part of the Umzinyati district (5.9%) and the other 10 districts (1.1%). The number of hospitals with at least one XDR-TB case increased from 18 (25%) to 58 (80%) during the study period. Interpretation XDR-TB is present throughout KZN. More than 65% of all diagnosed MDR-TB cases, including XDR-TB patients, were left untreated and likely remained in the community as a source of infection

Impact of Online Communities on Civic Engagement: An Inclusivity Assessment Using the Civic Engagement Test

With a mean age of 32.4 years and a balanced gender distribution (55% male, 45% female), we present findings based on a diverse participant sample in this data-intensive study evaluating the "Impact of Online Communities on Civic Engagement: An Inclusivity Assessment Using the Civic Engagement Test," demonstrating the inclusivity of these digital spaces. In online communities, users demonstrated active participation, with an average of 45 posts, 60 likes, and 18 comments. Furthermore, a solid grasp of civic concerns was demonstrated by the civic engagement test results (average score of 82), with 40% exhibiting advanced civic knowledge. The results of inclusiveness evaluations showed that various kinds of communities exhibited variable degrees of inclusivity, highlighting the significance of community design in fostering diversity. These observations highlight the transformational power of online networks in promoting knowledgeable civic involvement and stress the significance of inclusion for the advancement of digital civic engagement

Personality traits and its relationship with work performance for majority group of farmers in Malaysia

Paddy is regarded as the third most widely planted crop in Malaysia that covers an area of 686,050 hectares in total. Although a large scale rice cultivation is practiced in this country, it still falls short in meeting the demand for its ever growing population. According to Rogers’ theory, the majority group (early and late majority) influence most of the paddy production in Malaysia and they form 68% of the paddy farmers. In this regard, it suffices to say that most of the rice supply in this country came from this group of farmers. The objective of the study was to determine the relationship between personality traits and work performance among the paddy farmers in the majority group. A face to face survey was carried out using a questionnaire where the respondents were chosen using the cluster sampling technique. Descriptive analysis was used to describe the demographics of the respondents, while correlation and multiple regressions were used to examine the strength and relationship between personality traits and work performance. The correlation coefficients showed that six personal trait variables were positively correlated with work performance, and only one personal trait variable was negatively correlated with work performance at 0.05 level of significance. Specifically, discipline was found moderately correlated with work performance. Moreover, the results also showed that, the ability to solve problems, network information, and discipline were found to significantly predict work performance of the paddy farmers. Overall, these three variables explained 44% variance of the work performance. Respectively, it is recommended that extension programmes should focus on these three variables in order to increase the work performance of the majority groups of paddy farmers

Osteochondral tissue regeneration through polymeric delivery of DNA encoding for the SOX trio and RUNX2

Native osteochondral repair is often inadequate owing to the inherent properties of the tissue, and current clinical repair strategies can result in healing with a limited lifespan and donor site morbidity. This work investigates the use of polymeric gene therapy to address this problem by delivering DNA encoding for transcription factors complexed with the branched poly(ethylenimine)–hyaluronic acid (bPEI–HA) delivery vector via a porous oligo[poly(ethylene glycol) fumarate] hydrogel scaffold. To evaluate the potential of this approach, a bilayered scaffold mimicking native osteochondral tissue organization was loaded with DNA/bPEI–HA complexes. Next, bilayered implants either unloaded or loaded in a spatial fashion with bPEI–HA and DNA encoding for either Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) or SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 5, 6, and 9 (the SOX trio), to generate bone and cartilage tissues respectively, were fabricated and implanted in a rat osteochondral defect. At 6 weeks post-implantation, micro-computed tomography analysis and histological scoring were performed on the explants to evaluate the quality and quantity of tissue repair in each group. The incorporation of DNA encoding for RUNX2 in the bone layer of these scaffolds significantly increased bone growth. Additionally, a spatially loaded combination of RUNX2 and SOX trio DNA loading significantly improved healing relative to empty hydrogels or either factor alone. Finally, the results of this study suggest that subchondral bone formation is necessary for correct cartilage healing