Analytical Approximate Expression for Cocurrent Imbibition during Immiscible Two-Phase Flow through Porous Media

Cocurrent and countercurrent imbibitions are the crucial mechanism in many multiphase flow processes. In cocurrent imbibition wetting phase displaces nonwetting phase such that the nonwetting phase moves in the same direction to the wetting phase, whereas in countercurrent imbibitions wetting and non-wetting phase flow in opposite directions. However for cocurrent imbibitions, mathematical models need total flux condition as both phases flow in the same direction. Thus cocurrent imbibitions have been considered neglecting pressure gradient of nonwetting phase and only pressure gradient of displacing phase is considered which gives additional velocity to the displacing phase. An approximate analytical solution is derived by the method of small parameter; an approximate expression for the wetting phase saturation has been obtained. From analytical expression graphical presentation of saturation of wetting phase shows that cocurrent imbibition is faster than countercurrent imbibition. Also, the small parameter is chosen from initial wetting phase saturation and wetting phase saturation at imbibition phase, thus giving comparative behavior of imbibition at initial and later stage. It is shown that cocurrent imbibition proceeds faster with more amount of wetting phase present in porous matrix

Anomalous Innervation of the Median Nerve in the Arm in the Absence of the Musculocutaneous Nerve

The brachial plexus innervates the upper extremities. While variations in the formation of the brachial plexus and its terminal branches are quite common, it is uncommon for the median nerve to innervate the muscles of the arm. During the dissection of an elderly male cadaver at the Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India, in 2016, the coracobrachialis muscle was found to be supplied by a direct branch from the lateral root of the median nerve and the musculocutaneous nerve was absent. The branches of the median nerve supplied the biceps brachii and brachialis muscles and the last branch continued as the lateral cutaneous nerve of the forearm. These variations may present atypically in cases of arm flexor paralysis or sensory loss on the lateral forearm. Knowledge of these variations is important in surgeries and during the administration of regional anaesthesia near the shoulder joint and upper arm

Use of thiopurines in inflammatory bowel disease : an update

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), once considered a disease of the Western hemisphere, has emerged as a global disease. As the disease prevalence is on a steady rise, management of IBD has come under the spotlight. 5-Aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, immunosuppressive agents and biologics are the backbone of treatment of IBD. With the advent of biologics and small molecules, the need for surgery and hospitalization has decreased. However, economic viability and acceptability is an important determinant of local prescription patterns. Nearly one-third of the patients in West receive biologics as the first/initial therapy. The scenario is different in developing countries where biologics are used only in a small proportion of patients with IBD. Increased risk of reactivation of tuberculosis and high cost of the therapy are limitations to their use. Thiopurines hence become critical for optimal management of patients with IBD in these regions. However, approximately one-third of patients are intolerant or develop adverse effects with their use. This has led to suboptimal use of thiopurines in clinical practice. This review article discusses the clinical aspects of thiopurine use in patients with IBD with the aim of optimizing their use to full therapeutic potential.Peer reviewe

"The fruits of independence": Satyajit Ray, Indian nationhood and the spectre of empire

Challenging the longstanding consensus that Satyajit Ray's work is largely free of ideological concerns and notable only for its humanistic richness, this article shows with reference to representations of British colonialism and Indian nationhood that Ray's films and stories are marked deeply and consistently by a distinctively Bengali variety of liberalism. Drawn from an ongoing biographical project, it commences with an overview of the nationalist milieu in which Ray grew up and emphasizes the preoccupation with colonialism and nationalism that marked his earliest unfilmed scripts. It then shows with case studies of Kanchanjangha (1962), Charulata (1964), First Class Kamra (First-Class Compartment, 1981), Pratidwandi (The Adversary, 1970), Shatranj ke Khilari (The Chess Players, 1977), Agantuk (The Stranger, 1991) and Robertsoner Ruby (Robertson's Ruby, 1992) how Ray's mature work continued to combine a strongly anti-colonial viewpoint with a shifting perspective on Indian nationhood and an unequivocal commitment to cultural cosmopolitanism. Analysing how Ray articulated his ideological positions through the quintessentially liberal device of complexly staged debates that were apparently free, but in fact closed by the scenarist/director on ideologically specific notes, this article concludes that Ray's reputation as an all-forgiving, ‘everybody-has-his-reasons’ humanist is based on simplistic or even tendentious readings of his work

Vision, challenges and opportunities for a Plant Cell Atlas

With growing populations and pressing environmental problems, future economies will be increasingly plant-based. Now is the time to reimagine plant science as a critical component of fundamental science, agriculture, environmental stewardship, energy, technology and healthcare. This effort requires a conceptual and technological framework to identify and map all cell types, and to comprehensively annotate the localization and organization of molecules at cellular and tissue levels. This framework, called the Plant Cell Atlas (PCA), will be critical for understanding and engineering plant development, physiology and environmental responses. A workshop was convened to discuss the purpose and utility of such an initiative, resulting in a roadmap that acknowledges the current knowledge gaps and technical challenges, and underscores how the PCA initiative can help to overcome them.</jats:p

Development of aqueous-based multi-herbal combination using principal component analysis and its functional significance in HepG2 cells

Abstract Background The present study was carried out to prepare multi-herbal combination via comparing antioxidant activity and polyphenolic composition of five medicinal plant extracts of Punica granatum L., Putranjiva roxburghii Wall., Swertia chirata Buch.-Ham., Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers and Trigonella corniculata L. Methods The herbs were individually evaluated using in vitro antioxidant assays and analyzed by HPLC-PDA. The resultant data was examined using principal component analysis (PCA). Further, herbal combination was prepared on the basis of PCA. Results The PCA divided the plants into three groups. The leading or primary group contained P. granatum and P. roxburghii with the highest antioxidant activity strongly correlated with high amount of kaempferol. S. chirata was acknowledged as nourisher herb in one and T. cordifolia and T. corniculata were identified as stimulator herbs in other group. The herbal combination exhibited high antioxidant activity as compared to the individual plants. The combination revealed good antiproliferative efficacy against hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells with IC50 of 75.864 μg/ml. Conclusions The activity observed in vitro with HepG2 cells suggests that the herbal combination can provide therapeutic activity in vivo in future. The study may provide information regarding precise preparation of multi-herbal formulations using PCA as a tool in pharmaceutical industries

Effect of fresh Triticum aestivum grass juice on lipid profile of normal rats

Objective: To study the hypolipidemic activity of fresh grass juice of Triticum aestivum in normal rats. Materials and Methods: Freshly prepared Triticum aestivum grass juice was administered to normal rats at the dose of 5 ml/kg and 10 ml/kg orally once daily for 21 days. Blood samples were collected after 24 hours of last administration and used for estimation of lipid profile. Fresh grass juice was also subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening. Results: Fresh grass juice administration produced dose related significant (P < 0.05) reduction in total chloesterol,triglycerides,low density lipoprotein-cholesterol and very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels in normal rats as compared to control.Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed presence of alkaloids,tannins, saponins and sterols in Triticum aestivum grass. Conclusion: The results of the present study lndicate hypolipidemic activity of fresh Triticum aestivum grass juice

Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Subclinical Hypothyroidism: A Case Control Study in Nepalese Population

Objectives. To assess cardiovascular risk factors in Nepalese population with subclinical hypothyroidism as compared to age and sex matched controls. Materials and Methods. A case control study was conducted among 200 subjects (100 subclinical hypothyroid and 100 euthyroid) at B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal. Demographic and anthropometric variables including systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) were taken. Blood samples were assayed for serum free triiodothyronine (fT3), free thyroxine (fT4), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP). Results. Subclinical hypothyroid patients had significantly higher diastolic BP, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and hs-CRP than controls. The odds ratio of having hypercholesterolemia (>200 mg/dL), low HDL cholesterol (<40 mg/dL), undesirable LDL-cholesterol (>100 mg/dL), high hs-CRP (>1 mg/L), and high diastolic BP (>80 mmHg) and being overweight (BMI ≥ 23 Kg/m2) in subclinical hypothyroidism was 2.29 (95% CI; 1.2–4.38, p=0.011), 1.73 (95% CI; 0.82–3.62, p=0.141), 3.04 (95% CI; 1.66–5.56, p<0.001), 2.02 (95% CI; 1.12–3.64, p=0.018), 3.35 (95% CI; 1.72–6.55, p<0.001), and 0.9 (95% CI; 0.48–1.67, p=0.753), respectively, as compared to controls. Conclusion. Subclinical hypothyroid patients are associated with higher risk for cardiovascular disease than euthyroid subjects