Betelvine (Piper betle L.): A potential source for oral care

Piper betle L. (betelvine) is a valuable crop that is widely used as masticatory and with a long past history of varied traditional uses. Betelvine possesses numerous phytochemicals with important pharmacological attributes.  Active molecules such as Fluoride, Eugenol, Hydroxylchavicol, Chlorogenic acid etc. present in betelvine with potent antibacterial, antifungal as well as anti-carcinogenic properties signify tremendous prospective of the plant for the formulation of natural product based drugs for maintaining hygiene and cure of diseases in the oral cavity. &nbsp

In vitro metabolism of carotenoids, ß carotene and lutein into retinoids in amphibians

Carotenoids are a family of over 600 natural lipid-soluble pigments that are produced within microalgae, phytoplankton, and higher plants. Of these only 50 have provitamin A activity, with the capacity to be transformed into retinol and dehydroretinol. Animals are unable to synthesise carotenoids de novo. As animals lack the ability to synthesize vitamin A, they are dependent on   dietary intake to provide adequate levels of vitamin A. Vitamin A (retinol) and its naturally occurring and synthetic derivatives are collectively referred to as retinoids. Retinoids are important metabolites of carotenoids that have at least one non-hydroxylated ring system of the β-type, e.g. carotenes (β-carotene, α-carotene, and γ-carotene) and xanthophyls (β-cryptoxanthin and echinenone).  The pigmentation and colouration in amphibian occur owing to the deposition of carotenoids from their metabolism by consuming the carotenoids through foods from their habitat or through conversion of these carotenoids into different metabolites during development. The status of the retinoids formed through conversion of carotenoids was examined from the lipid extracts of the carotenoid administered tadpoles of Duttaphrynus melanostictus and Haplobactrachus tigerinus. The extracts were subjected to UV –VIS spectrophotometer for tentative analysis of the retinoids formed and then by the HPLC procedures for final results. The findings show that larval forms of amphibians of both the species Duttaphrynus melanostictus and Haplobactrachus tigerinus can convert β–carotene to retinol and lutein to dehydroretinol. The conversion of carotenoids into different retinoids is explained through the mode of cleavage of the carotenoids molecules

Agro-economic analysis of sustainable cropping patterns in hydric rice fallows of upper Brahmaputra valley, Asom

Three post rainy season crops, viz. potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), pea (Pisum sativum L.) and mustard (Brassica juncea L.) were evaluated for their economic efficiency for two years (2005-06 to 2006-07) in four hydric rice growing soils under two management levels (farmers' practice and recommended package of practices) in upper Brahmaputra valley of Asom. The farm experimental results recorded tuber yield of 208 q/ha for potato, 9.48 q/ha of grain yield of mustard and 57.5 q/ha of green pod yield of peas under recommended doses with high benefit cost ratio of 2.44 for potato and 2.35 for mustard in Lahangaon series (coarse loamy Aeric Fluvaquents) as compared to farmer’s practice (benefit cost ratio of 1.57 for potato to 1.71 for peas). The performance of potato and peas in rice fallows of Brahmaputra valley was evident in all soils under recommended practices in terms of benefit cost ratio, efficient uptake of NPK and yield

Separated Oscillatory Fields for High-Precision Penning Trap Mass Spectrometry

Ramsey's method of separated oscillatory fields is applied to the excitation of the cyclotron motion of short-lived ions in a Penning trap to improve the precision of their measured mass. The theoretical description of the extracted ion-cyclotron-resonance line shape is derived out and its correctness demonstrated experimentally by measuring the mass of the short-lived $^{38}$Ca nuclide with an uncertainty of $1.6\cdot 10^{-8}$ using the ISOLTRAP Penning trap mass spectrometer at CERN. The mass value of the superallowed beta-emitter $^{38}$Ca is an important contribution for testing the conserved-vector-current hypothesis of the electroweak interaction. It is shown that the Ramsey method applied to mass measurements yields a statistical uncertainty similar to that obtained by the conventional technique ten times faster.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, 0 table

Optical spectroscopy-based imaging techniques for the diagnosis of breast cancer: A novel approach

There have been substantial advancements in optical spectroscopy-based imaging techniques in recent years. These developments can potentially herald a transformational change in the diagnostic pathway for diseases such as cancer. In this paper, we review the clinical and engineering aspects of novel optical spectroscopy-based imaging tools. We provide a comprehensive analysis of optical and non-optical spectroscopy-based breast cancer diagnosis techniques vis-à-vis the current standard techniques such as X-Ray mammography, ultrasonography, and tissue biopsy. The recent advancements in optical spectroscopy-based imaging systems such as Transillumination Imaging (TI) and the various types of Diffuse Optical Imaging (DOI) systems (parallel-plate, bed-based, and handheld) are examined. The engineering aspects, including mechanical, electronics, optics, automatic interpretation using artificial intelligence (AI), and ergonomics are discussed. The abilities of these technologies for measuring several cancer biomarkers such as hemoglobin, water, lipid, collagen, oxygen saturation (SO2), and tissue oxygenation index (TOI) are investigated. This article critically assesses the diagnostic ability and practical deployment of these new technologies to differentiate between the normal and cancerous tissue

Mass measurements beyond the major r-process waiting point 80Zn

High-precision mass measurements on neutron-rich zinc isotopes 71m,72-81Zn have been performed with the Penning trap mass spectrometer ISOLTRAP. For the first time the mass of 81Zn has been experimentally determined. This makes 80Zn the first of the few major waiting points along the path of the astrophysical rapid neutron capture process where neutron separation energy and neutron capture Q-value are determined experimentally. As a consequence, the astrophysical conditions required for this waiting point and its associated abundance signatures to occur in r-process models can now be mapped precisely. The measurements also confirm the robustness of the N = 50 shell closure for Z = 30 farther from stability.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Moderate excess alcohol consumption and adverse cardiac remodelling in dilated cardiomyopathy

Objective The effect of moderate excess alcohol consumption is widely debated and has not been well defined in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). There is need for a greater evidence base to help advise patients. We sought to evaluate the effect of moderate excess alcohol consumption on cardiovascular structure, function and outcomes in DCM. Methods Prospective longitudinal observational cohort study. Patients with DCM (n=604) were evaluated for a history of moderate excess alcohol consumption (UK government guidelines; >14 units/week for women, >21 units/week for men) at cohort enrollment, had cardiovascular magnetic resonance and were followed up for the composite endpoint of cardiovascular death, heart failure and arrhythmic events. Patients meeting criteria for alcoholic cardiomyopathy were not recruited. Results DCM patients with a history of moderate excess alcohol consumption (n=98, 16%) had lower biventricular function and increased chamber dilatation of the left ventricle, right ventricle and left atrium, as well as increased left ventricular hypertrophy compared to patients without moderate alcohol consumption. They were more likely to be male (alcohol excess group– n =92, 94% vs n =306, 61%, p=<0.001). After adjustment for biological sex, moderate excess alcohol was not associated with adverse cardiac structure. There was no difference in mid-wall myocardial fibrosis between groups. Prior moderate excess alcohol consumption did not affect prognosis (HR 1.29, 0.73 to 2.26, p=0.38) during median follow up of 3.9 years. Conclusion Dilated cardiomyopathy patients with moderate excess alcohol consumption have adverse cardiac structure and function at presentation but this is largely due to biological sex. Alcohol may contribute to sex-specific phenotypic differences in DCM. These findings help to inform lifestyle discussions for patients with dilated cardiomyopathy

Full potential LAPW calculation of electron momentum density and related properties of Li

Electron momentum density and Compton profiles in Lithium along $$,$$, and $$ directions are calculated using Full-Potential Linear Augmented Plane Wave basis within generalized gradient approximation. The profiles have been corrected for correlations with Lam-Platzman formulation using self-consistent charge density. The first and second derivatives of Compton profiles are studied to investigate the Fermi surface breaks. Decent agreement is observed between recent experimental and our calculated values. Our values for the derivatives are found to be in better agreement with experiments than earlier theoretical results. Two-photon momentum density and one- and two-dimensional angular correlation of positron annihilation radiation are also calculated within the same formalism and including the electron-positron enhancement factor.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures TO appear in Physical Review