QUANTIFICATION AND CORRELATION OF THE BIOACTIVE PHYTOCHEMICALS OF CROTON BONPLANDIANUM LEAVES OF SUB-HIMALAYAN REGION OF WEST BENGAL

Objective: Leaves of various herbs are rich in phytochemicals which may provide protection from various diseases. Therefore, the objective of the present study was preliminary screening of the phytochemicals like tannin, phlobatannin, cholesterol, glycoside, terpinoids, phenolics, flavonoid, steroid, anthraquinone, saponin, carbohydrate, alkaloid and protein in leaf of Croton bonplandianum Baill. and quantify some of these phytochemical. Method: Standardized biochemical and UV-Vis spectrophotometric methods were followed to analyze the phytochemical status of the leaves. Principal component analysis and correlation matrix on the basis of the quantity of the bioactive phytochemicals were performed in order to elucidate the interrelation between the various phytochemicals Result: Quite a high percentage of alkaloid (59.60 ± 4.79 g/100g), saponin (17.35 ± 1.35 g/100g), phenolic content (75.39 ± 3.19 mg/g), protein (55.04 ± 2.09 mg/g), lipid (37.53 ± 2.43 mg/g), tannin (26.18 ± 2.63 mg/100g), thiamine (26.18± 2.36 mg/100g) and very satisfactory quantity of riboflavin or vitamin B2 (0.55 ± 0.03 mg/100g), ascorbic acid (0.71 ± 0.05 mg/100g)  has been detected in the leaves of this plant. It is fascinating to note that the phenol with lipid and the riboflavin content have displayed almost linear positive correlation with correlation coefficient of 0.999. Conclusion: It can be concluded from the present study that the leaf of C. bonplandianum possesses rich in various phytochemicals like alkaloid, total phenol, saponin, flavonoid, protein and tannin. These phytochemicals possess various bioactive properties and may be used as external therapeutic supplement. This study may lead to a new dimension regarding the medicinal value of C. bonplandianum

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND PROTECTIVE PROPERTIES OF ALOE VERA LEAF CRUDE GEL IN CARRAGEENAN INDUCED ACUTE INFLAMMATORY RAT MODELS

Objectives: Current clinical treatment regimes for inflammatory diseases have different drawbacks including side effects of the drugs and the high cost of long term treatment. In the last few decades different promising herbal medicines have been explored for their anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic effects, but conclusive evidences are not available in the case of crude Aloe vera gel for its anti-inflammatory effects. The objective of the study was to document the protective and curative roles of orally administered and peritoneally injected crude wild Aloe vera gel in carrageenan-induced inflammation in a rat model. Methods: Inflammation was induced by injecting 1% carrageenan in the left hind paw of Wistar albino rat. Crude, unprocessed Aloe vera gel was peritoneally injected and orally fed to experimental and control rat groups to investigate its effect on paw joint edema by measuring the paw circumference with vernier caliper. MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] cell viability assay was performed to investigate the cytotoxic effect of the gel. Results: Paw edema was brought to near normal levels in the experimental groups after the treatment with crude Aloe vera gel. Orally fed gel showed no cytotoxicity on macrophages and spleenocytes. Protective property of crude Aloe gel was also evident in both the experiments. Conclusion: Aloe vera crude gel has both protective and curative properties against inflammation

Embedded Identity Traceable Identity-Based IPFE from Pairings and Lattices

We present the first fully collusion resistant traitor tracing (TT) scheme for identity-based inner product functional encryption (IBIPFE) that directly traces user identities through an efficient tracing procedure. We name such a scheme as embedded identity traceable IBIPFE (EI-TIBIPFE), where secret keys and ciphertexts are computed for vectors u and v respectively. Additionally, each secret key is associated with a user identification information tuple (i , id, gid) that specifies user index i , user identity id and an identity gid of a group to which the user belongs. The ciphertexts are generated under a group identity gid′ so that decryption recovers the inner product between the vectors u and v if the user is a member of the group gid′, i.e., gid = gid′. Suppose some users linked to a particular group team up and create a pirate decoder that is capable of decrypting the content of the group, then the tracing algorithm extracts at least one id from the team given black-box access to the decoder. In prior works, such TT schemes are built for usual public key encryptions. The only existing TIPFE scheme proposed by Do, Phan, and Pointcheval [CT-RSA’20] can trace user indices but not the actual identities. Moreover, their scheme achieves selective security and private traceability, meaning that it is only the trusted authority that is able to trace user indices. In this work, we present the following TT schemes with varying parameters and levels of security: (1) We generically construct EI-TIBIPFE assuming the existence of IBIPFE. The scheme preserves the security level of the underlying IBIPFE. (2) We build an adaptively secure EI-TIPFE scheme from bilinear maps. Note that EI-TIPFE is a particular case of EI-TIBIPFE, which does not consider group identities. (3) Next, we construct a selectively secure EI-TIBIPFE from bilinear maps. As an intermediate step, we design the first IBIPFE scheme based on a target group assumption in the standard model. (4) Finally, we provide a generic construction of selectively secure EI-TIBIPFE from lattices, namely under the standard Learning With Errors assumption. Our pairing-based schemes support public traceability and the ciphertext size grows with $\sqrt{n}$, whereas in the IBIPFE and lattice-based ones, it grows linearly with n. The main technical difficulty is designing such an advanced TT scheme for an IBIPFE that is beyond IPFE and more suitable for real-life applications

Study of indigenous freshwater fish diversity of Bankura (West Bengal), India with special reference to Clarias batrachus

A study was conducted to determine the ichthyofaunal diversity in Bankura district of West Bengal. The area is traversed by major and minor rivers, feeder channels, numerous ponds, bills, reservoirs which have made this drought-trodden district as the highest producer of aquatic products within the state. Field survey was conducted in randomly selected local markets covering twenty-two blocks of Bankura. Fish sampling was carried out using various conventional fishing gears. The entire region harbours a wide variety of aquatic fishes. A total number of 92 indigenous fish species belonging to 30 families were identified during this study. The Cyprinidae family dominated the population with its 36 varieties followed by Channidae, Siluridae and Bagridae. Sonamukhi block situated in Shali basin; Sarenga and Raipur of Kangsabati basin; Dwarkeshwar and seven bundhs- enriched Bishnupur were the major habitats of small indigenous fishes. This paper also denotes presence of 12 globally endemic freshwater fish species viz. Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Cyprinus carpio, Labeo nandina, Tor khudree, Chitala chitala, Bagarius bagarius, Wallago attu, Ompok pabda, Ailia coila, Anguilla bengalensis, Parambassis lala, Oreochromis mossambicus. The substitution of native Clarias batrachus with invasive African catfish C. gariepinus was observed in various local markets. Some traders even promote illicit farming of this banned species for their own profit. As a consequence, the indigenous, nutritionally-enriched C. batrachus is becoming more endangered

Insights into the Ultra-Steep Subthreshold Slope Gate-all-around Feedback-FET for Memory and Sensing Applications

Ultra-steep subthreshold slope FBFETs are promising candidates for next-generation memory and sensing devices. The characteristic of Subthreshold slope less than 10mV/dec enables efficient memory cell design and reduces power consumption during OFF-states, making FBFETs ideal for memory and sensing applications. In this paper, we demonstrate the use of FBFETs for both memory and sensing applications. For sensing, we have used Gouy-Chapman-Stern and site-binding model to calculate the surface potential on the sensing surface of the proposed device due to the protonation and deprotonations based on the pH of the electrolyte. For memory, we will target the memory window due to trapped charges or a single polyoxometalate cluster. We will show that the FBFETs can achieve a larger memory window and a sensing sensitivity crossing the Nernst limit. These results will demonstrate the potential of FBFETs for a wide range of applications

Global age-sex-specific mortality, life expectancy, and population estimates in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1950–2021, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Estimates of demographic metrics are crucial to assess levels and trends of population health outcomes. The profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on populations worldwide has underscored the need for timely estimates to understand this unprecedented event within the context of long-term population health trends. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 provides new demographic estimates for 204 countries and territories and 811 additional subnational locations from 1950 to 2021, with a particular emphasis on changes in mortality and life expectancy that occurred during the 2020–21 COVID-19 pandemic period. Methods: 22 223 data sources from vital registration, sample registration, surveys, censuses, and other sources were used to estimate mortality, with a subset of these sources used exclusively to estimate excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2026 data sources were used for population estimation. Additional sources were used to estimate migration; the effects of the HIV epidemic; and demographic discontinuities due to conflicts, famines, natural disasters, and pandemics, which are used as inputs for estimating mortality and population. Spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression (ST-GPR) was used to generate under-5 mortality rates, which synthesised 30 763 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 1365 surveys and censuses, and 80 other sources. ST-GPR was also used to estimate adult mortality (between ages 15 and 59 years) based on information from 31 642 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 355 surveys and censuses, and 24 other sources. Estimates of child and adult mortality rates were then used to generate life tables with a relational model life table system. For countries with large HIV epidemics, life tables were adjusted using independent estimates of HIV-specific mortality generated via an epidemiological analysis of HIV prevalence surveys, antenatal clinic serosurveillance, and other data sources. Excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 was determined by subtracting observed all-cause mortality (adjusted for late registration and mortality anomalies) from the mortality expected in the absence of the pandemic. Expected mortality was calculated based on historical trends using an ensemble of models. In location-years where all-cause mortality data were unavailable, we estimated excess mortality rates using a regression model with covariates pertaining to the pandemic. Population size was computed using a Bayesian hierarchical cohort component model. Life expectancy was calculated using age-specific mortality rates and standard demographic methods. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were calculated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered values from a 1000-draw posterior distribution. Findings: Global all-cause mortality followed two distinct patterns over the study period: age-standardised mortality rates declined between 1950 and 2019 (a 62·8% [95% UI 60·5–65·1] decline), and increased during the COVID-19 pandemic period (2020–21; 5·1% [0·9–9·6] increase). In contrast with the overall reverse in mortality trends during the pandemic period, child mortality continued to decline, with 4·66 million (3·98–5·50) global deaths in children younger than 5 years in 2021 compared with 5·21 million (4·50–6·01) in 2019. An estimated 131 million (126–137) people died globally from all causes in 2020 and 2021 combined, of which 15·9 million (14·7–17·2) were due to the COVID-19 pandemic (measured by excess mortality, which includes deaths directly due to SARS-CoV-2 infection and those indirectly due to other social, economic, or behavioural changes associated with the pandemic). Excess mortality rates exceeded 150 deaths per 100 000 population during at least one year of the pandemic in 80 countries and territories, whereas 20 nations had a negative excess mortality rate in 2020 or 2021, indicating that all-cause mortality in these countries was lower during the pandemic than expected based on historical trends. Between 1950 and 2021, global life expectancy at birth increased by 22·7 years (20·8–24·8), from 49·0 years (46·7–51·3) to 71·7 years (70·9–72·5). Global life expectancy at birth declined by 1·6 years (1·0–2·2) between 2019 and 2021, reversing historical trends. An increase in life expectancy was only observed in 32 (15·7%) of 204 countries and territories between 2019 and 2021. The global population reached 7·89 billion (7·67–8·13) people in 2021, by which time 56 of 204 countries and territories had peaked and subsequently populations have declined. The largest proportion of population growth between 2020 and 2021 was in sub-Saharan Africa (39·5% [28·4–52·7]) and south Asia (26·3% [9·0–44·7]). From 2000 to 2021, the ratio of the population aged 65 years and older to the population aged younger than 15 years increased in 188 (92·2%) of 204 nations. Interpretation: Global adult mortality rates markedly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, reversing past decreasing trends, while child mortality rates continued to decline, albeit more slowly than in earlier years. Although COVID-19 had a substantial impact on many demographic indicators during the first 2 years of the pandemic, overall global health progress over the 72 years evaluated has been profound, with considerable improvements in mortality and life expectancy. Additionally, we observed a deceleration of global population growth since 2017, despite steady or increasing growth in lower-income countries, combined with a continued global shift of population age structures towards older ages. These demographic changes will likely present future challenges to health systems, economies, and societies. The comprehensive demographic estimates reported here will enable researchers, policy makers, health practitioners, and other key stakeholders to better understand and address the profound changes that have occurred in the global health landscape following the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, and longer-term trends beyond the pandemic

Differential cross section measurements for the production of a W boson in association with jets in proton–proton collisions at √s = 7 TeV

Measurements are reported of differential cross sections for the production of a W boson, which decays into a muon and a neutrino, in association with jets, as a function of several variables, including the transverse momenta (pT) and pseudorapidities of the four leading jets, the scalar sum of jet transverse momenta (HT), and the difference in azimuthal angle between the directions of each jet and the muon. The data sample of pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV was collected with the CMS detector at the LHC and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 5.0 fb[superscript −1]. The measured cross sections are compared to predictions from Monte Carlo generators, MadGraph + pythia and sherpa, and to next-to-leading-order calculations from BlackHat + sherpa. The differential cross sections are found to be in agreement with the predictions, apart from the pT distributions of the leading jets at high pT values, the distributions of the HT at high-HT and low jet multiplicity, and the distribution of the difference in azimuthal angle between the leading jet and the muon at low values.United States. Dept. of EnergyNational Science Foundation (U.S.)Alfred P. Sloan Foundatio

Penilaian Kinerja Keuangan Koperasi di Kabupaten Pelalawan

This paper describe development and financial performance of cooperative in District Pelalawan among 2007 - 2008. Studies on primary and secondary cooperative in 12 sub-districts. Method in this stady use performance measuring of productivity, efficiency, growth, liquidity, and solvability of cooperative. Productivity of cooperative in Pelalawan was highly but efficiency still low. Profit and income were highly, even liquidity of cooperative very high, and solvability was good

Juxtaposing BTE and ATE – on the role of the European insurance industry in funding civil litigation

One of the ways in which legal services are financed, and indeed shaped, is through private insurance arrangement. Two contrasting types of legal expenses insurance contracts (LEI) seem to dominate in Europe: before the event (BTE) and after the event (ATE) legal expenses insurance. Notwithstanding institutional differences between different legal systems, BTE and ATE insurance arrangements may be instrumental if government policy is geared towards strengthening a market-oriented system of financing access to justice for individuals and business. At the same time, emphasizing the role of a private industry as a keeper of the gates to justice raises issues of accountability and transparency, not readily reconcilable with demands of competition. Moreover, multiple actors (clients, lawyers, courts, insurers) are involved, causing behavioural dynamics which are not easily predicted or influenced. Against this background, this paper looks into BTE and ATE arrangements by analysing the particularities of BTE and ATE arrangements currently available in some European jurisdictions and by painting a picture of their respective markets and legal contexts. This allows for some reflection on the performance of BTE and ATE providers as both financiers and keepers. Two issues emerge from the analysis that are worthy of some further reflection. Firstly, there is the problematic long-term sustainability of some ATE products. Secondly, the challenges faced by policymakers that would like to nudge consumers into voluntarily taking out BTE LEI