Probable Action Dimensions of Madhutailika Yapana Vasti in Hirschsprung's Disease

Hirschsprung’s disease (HD) is a congenital disorder defined by the absence of ganglion cells in terminal rectum which is responsible for non specific symptomatology including chronic constipation which is usually not relieved with oral laxatives. In modern science, the treatment option is surgical removal of affected area followed by anastomosis but more post operative complications and lower quality of life are the major concerns while adopting surgical procedures. Hence the scope of Ayurvedic modalities in HD is to be explored. When we consider the pathology as Udavartha due to deranged Pakwasayagatha Vatha, the prime importance of Vasti can be analyzed. It is the Prakupitha Apana Vayu which leads to Udavartha. Children suffer from chronic accumulation of Mala due to Pratiloma Gati of Vayu which over time becomes hard and dried and may further result in infection. Hence the line of disease management requires Sodhana for the elimination of chronic stasis of Mala with simultaneous Brimhana and Rasayana action for gut brain nourishment and regeneration. Madhutailika Yapana Vasti which is mentioned in Ashtangahrudaya Kalpasidhi Sthana serves these purposes simultaneously. The present work aims at exploring the current knowledge on probable mode of action of Madutailika Yapana Vasti in Hirschsprung’s disease and to highlight the research gaps that we must overcome to further elucidate the vast action dimensions of Yapana Vasti in the same disease

Oxygen incorporated WS2 nanoclusters with superior electrocatalytic properties for hydrogen evolution reaction

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) exhibit unique properties and show potential for promising applications in energy conversion. Mono/few-layered TMDs have been widely explored as active electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). A controlled synthesis of TMD nanostructures with unique structural and electronic properties, leading to highly active sites or higher conductivity, is essential to achieve enhanced HER activity. Here, we demonstrate a new approach to controllably synthesize highly catalytically active oxygen-incorporated 1T and 2H WS2 nanoclusters from oxygen deficient WO3 nanorods, following chemical exfoliation and ultrasonication processes, respectively. The as-synthesized 1T nanoclusters, with unique properties of tailored edge sites, and enhanced conductivity resulting from the metallic 1T phase and oxygen incorporation, have been identified as highly active and promising electrocatalysts for the HER, with a very low Tafel slope of 47 mV per decade and a low onset overpotential of 88 mV, along with exceptionally high exchange current density and very good stability. The study could be extended to other TMD materials for potential applications in energy conversion and storage.Prasad V. Sarma, Chandra Sekhar Tiwary, Sruthi Radhakrishnan, Pulickel M. Ajayanb and Manikoth M. Shaijumo

Tumefactive demyelinating lesions: A Clinicopathological correlative study

Tumefactive demyelinating (TDL) lesions are focal zones of demyelination in the central nervous system and they often mimic the neuroimaging features of an intraxial neoplasm. In this report we describe the clinical, neuroimaging and neuropathological features of six cases of TDL. Only in two patients the neuroimaging features in MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans were suggestive of TDL while in the other four cases a diagnosis of glioma was suggested. In order to establish a confirmatory diagnosis neuronavigation/stereotactic biopsy was undertaken and the diagnosis of TDL was established in all six cases at histopathology. Two out of six patients did not respond to the conventional corticosteroid therapy and they were treated with plasma exchange. It is being concluded that neuronavigation biopsy, though provide only a small amount of tissue, and is extremely useful in making the diagnosis of TDL

Evaluation of maternal plasma platelet activating factor acetylhydrolase activity and mRNA expression in pre-eclampsia: a case control study

Preeclampsia (PE) remains a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality all over the world. However, its aetiology and pathophysiology remain elusive. Platelet activating factor (PAF) is produced in response to oxidative stress and is a potent hypotensive agent. PAF acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) inactivates PAF and is seen to decrease in normotensive women. The role of PAF-AH in preeclampsia has been in investigational literature, so far. The few studies done have shown a positive association of elevated levels of PAF-AH with preeclampsia. However, this marker has not been studied in the Indian population to-date and such studies are needed to elucidate the pathogenesis of this condition. Our study aimed to determine the PAF-AH activity by spectrophotometric assay in maternal plasma of 73 PE patients versus 73 normotensive controls and plasma PAF-AH mRNA expression to know the aberration of PAF-AH activity at the genetic level. Relative mRNA expression was calculated by Δ DCT method and a fold change was calculated by 2–ΔDCT. We found that the mean plasma PAF-AH activity levels among cases was significantly higher than the normotensive controls. However, the mRNA expression of the PAF-AH gene was similar between the cases and controls, as well as between severe and non-severe preeclampsia (true fold change =1). To conclude, PAF-AH appears to be increased in women with preeclampsia and hence may contribute to pathophysiology and severity. However, a larger sample size will be required to reiterate this association. Recently, PAF-AH inhibitors such as Darapladib has been tested as a therapeutic option in atherosclerosis. After studying the role of PAF-AH in the pathogenesis of PE, PAF-AH inhibitors may be used as a therapeutic tool in the future in PE.IMPACT STATEMENT What is already known on this subject? Platelet activating factor (PAF) is produced in response to oxidative stress and is a potent hypotensive agent. PAF acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) hydrolyses and inactivates PAF and is seen to decrease in normotensive women. The role of platelet activating factor-acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) in preeclampsia has been investigational so far. Few studies done have shown a positive association of elevated levels of PAF-AH in preeclamptic women. What do the results of this study add? Our study aimed to determine the activity of PAF-AH in maternal plasma of PE patients versus normal pregnancy and plasma PAF-AH mRNA expression to know the aberration of PAF-AH activity at the level of the gene. We found that plasma PAF-AH activity among preeclamptics was significantly higher than in the controls with a possible role in early-onset preeclampsia (<32 weeks), in the Indian population. This marker has never been studied in this population earlier. The results of our study re-emphasised its role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Such studies are important to not only give us a greater understanding of the various pathways involved in this multifactorial dreaded condition, but can also offer us a marker for early identification of women at risk. Recently, PAF-AH inhibitors like Darapladib has been tested as a therapeutic option in atherosclerosis. After studying the role of PAF-AH in the pathogenesis of PE, PAF-AH inhibitors may be used as a therapeutic tool in the future in PE

Functionalized Boron Nitride Porous Solids

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), white graphene in the inorganic regime, is well known for its chemical inertness. Recent studies indicate that functionalization of h-BN can tune its physico-chemical properties, including its electrical conductivity. Here we propose a method for the functionalization of h-BN flakes with various oxygen functionalities to make graphite oxide analogue of h-BN, in a view to develop cross-linked, low-density (~40 mg/cm3), and porous h-BN solids, as it is recently well cited for graphene and graphite oxide. For the first time, macro-porous low density h-BN monolith foam is developed via a single step template free chemical route followed by a lyophilisation process. h-BN is known for its high thermal stability, and here the oil adsorption by the sponge (~2g/g) and complete burning of the adsorbed oil without disrupting the h-BN skeleton are demonstrated indicating the flexibility of tuning the morphology of h-BN in bulk, like graphite, without losing its inherent physical properties, opening new avenues for h-BN in energy and environment related fields

Effect of Fe substitution by Co on off-stoichiometric Ni-Fe-Co-Mn-Sn Heusler alloy ribbons

We have synthesized Ni45Fe5-XCoXMn40Sn10 Heusler alloy with different Co doping and studied the effect on the structural and magnetic properties of Ni45Fe5-XCoXMn40Sn10 (at. X = 0,2.5,5) ribbons. X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopic characterization reveal the structural/microstructural features in melt-spun ribbons of different compositions. A significant transformation in the crystal structure has been observed in Fe substituted ribbons. The crystal structure changes from cubic L2(1) phase to bi-phasic 4O + L2(1) and 10M + L2(1) modulated phases for the partial and complete substitution of Fe by Co specimens respectively. Williamson-Hall analysis of x-ray diffraction data was used to compute the crystallite size and residual elastic strain. Magnetic properties and magnetic field-induced structural transformation of melt-spun alloy ribbons over a large temperature range of 10 K <= T <= 500 K were examined. Our results revealed that Fe substitution by Co causes a change in the magnetic behavior which could be ascribed to the increase in the lattice strain as well as a magnetic strain due to high antiferromagnetic fraction

Three-Dimensional Porous Sponges from Collagen Biowastes

Three-dimensional, functional, and porous scaffolds can find applications in a variety of fields. Here we report the synthesis of hierarchical and interconnected porous sponges using a simple freeze-drying technique, employing collagen extracted from animal skin wastes and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. The ultralightweight, high-surface-area sponges exhibit excellent mechanical stability and enhanced absorption of organic contaminants such as oils and dye molecules. Additionally, these biocomposite sponges display significant cellular biocompatibility, which opens new prospects in biomedical uses. The approach highlights innovative ways of transforming biowastes into advanced hybrid materials using simple and scalable synthesis techniques

Poly-albumen: Bio-derived structural polymer from polymerized egg white

Bio-derived materials could play an important role in future sustainable green and health technologies. This work reports the synthesis of a unique egg white-based bio-derived material showing excellent stiffness and ductility by polymerizing it with primary amine-based chemical compounds to form strong covalent bonds. As shown by both experiments and theoretical simulations, the amine-based molecules introduce strong bonds between amine ends and carboxylic ends of albumen amino acids resulting in an elastic modulus of ∼4 GPa, a fracture strength of ∼2 MPa and a high ductility of 40%. The distributed and interconnected network of interfaces between the hard albumen and the soft amine compounds gives the structure its unique combination of high stiffness and plasticity. A range of in-situ local and bulk mechanical tests as well as molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, reveal a significant interfacial stretching during deformation and a micro-crack diversion leading to an increased in ductility and toughness. The structure also shows a self-stiffening behavior under dynamic loading and a strength-induced aging suggesting adaptive mechanical behavior. This egg white-derived material could also be developed for bio-compatible and bio-medical applications.by Peter Samora Owuor, Thierry Tsafack, Himani Agrawal, Hye Yoon Hwang, Matthew Zeliskob, Tong Lic, Sruthi Radhakrishnan, Jun Hyoung Park, Yingchao Yang, Anthony S. Stender, Sehmus Ozden, Jarin Joyner, Robert Vajtai, Benny A. Kaipparettu, Bingqing Wei, Jun Lou, Pradeep Sharma, Chandra Sekhar Tiwarya and Pulickel M. Ajaya