Effect of Neutral Pulmonary Douche on Pulmonary Functions among Bronchial Asthma Patients

Introduction: Bronchial Asthma is the second-most significant contributing factor to mortality rates for chronic respiratory diseases. It is characterized by hyperreactivity of the airways and reversible episodes of bronchoconstriction. Douche is a general application in hydrotherapy, which is a stream of water directed against the body generally or locally. The neutral pulmonary douche (NPD) is employed to improve pulmonary functions, but there is no scientific report validating its effect. Materials and Method: A randomized control trial study of a total of 60 subjects belonging to the age group of 18–44 years participated in the study. The study participants were randomized into intervention and control groups (1:1). The intervention group (30) underwent NPD for 30 minutes. No intervention was given to the control group (30) and was followed up. The assessments were taken at baseline and after 10 days of the study. Result: The collected data was subjected to statistical analysis, employing interferential statistical tests. These analyses showed a significant difference in all parameters (FEV1, FVC, the FEV1FVC ratio, and PEFR) within (t-tests, the Wilcoxon rank test) and between (ANCOVA) groups. Conclusion: The implementation of hydrotherapy-facilitated NPD has demonstrated notable enhancement of pulmonary functionality in Bronchial asthma (BA) sufferers, in conjunction with conventional medical interventions. This discovery contributes to the progressively accumulating substantiation endorsing the efficacy of hydrotherapy within the domain of naturopathy

Association of Acinetobacter baumannii with Soft Rot Disease of Carrot in India

Soft rot disease of carrots is an important limiting factor of carrot production. In this study, carrot roots showing typical soft rot symptoms were identified in the fields, and diseased and healthy root samples were collected for pathogen identification. The pathogen was isolated using an enriched bell pepper method. The bell pepper developed a water-soaked lesion around the pricking region when it was pricked after stabbing the diseased root whereas, no symptoms were produced when bell pepper was pricked after stabbing a healthy carrot root. From samples of the infected roots, circular, whitish, smooth, mucoid, round, convex, and medium-sized colonies were formed on the nutrient agar medium and were morphologically identified as Acinetobacter spp. Pure culture for four isolates was obtained, and one of the isolates (AB1) was further subjected to 16S rDNA sequencing. The BLAST analysis of the 16S rDNA confirmed the identity of AB1 as Acinetobacter baumannii. Pathogenicity test using whole-root assay and slice assay proved AB1 as pathogenic on carrot by producing water-soaked lesion, maceration, and rotting symptoms, whereas water inoculated roots remain healthy. The rotting symptoms on the artificially diseased carrot roots were similar to those caused by Pectobacterium caratovorum and Klebsiella variicola on the carrot. Based on the colony morphology, biochemical tests, and 16S rDNA sequence identity followed by pathogenicity assays, it is evident that A. baumannii causes soft rot disease in carrots. This report is essential for developing specific diagnostics and management against this newly emerging bacterial pathogen of carrot.</jats:p