Faith Tourism: for a Healthy Environment and a More Sensitive World

The domain of the ‘religious’ / ‘spiritual’ has become a significant source of revenue production for the tourism industry . Faith-based tourism seems to draw increasing numbers of people who wish to travel not just for leisure, or pleasure, but in search of personal meaning and fulfilment in a postmodern capitalist world. Though undertaken as a physical journey, pilgrimage seems to be embedded in the traveller’s wish for some kind of personal transformation. The journey is often distinguished from regular travel through its inherent call for a letting-go, be it of mental constructs, pathologies, personal and social conditioning, artefacts, logic or behaviour. Perhaps the faith-based ‘tourist’ sustains an attitude of veneration to the place and the path, and becomes sensitive to the environment as well as its inhabitants. One could then ask: does the commercial appropriation of faith-based journeys by the tourism industry contribute positively to the industry and, in larger terms, to humanity in general? Can faith-based tourism lead to a crucial, empathetic shift in awareness, enabling humans to accept one another without prejudice? Can faith-based tourism help to build deeper and permanent trans-class, trans-racial, trans-ethnic and trans-religious connections? Can it transform the tourist from a consumer-voyeur to a responsible participant in the larger ideals of social equality and cultural / environmental preservation? This paper suggests that pilgrimage tourism could in different ways sensitize pilgrim-tourists to ongoing social and environmental crises, and how tour organisers and administrators could promote this wider consciousness by illustrating the religious beliefs and sentiments of faith-based tourists

AMELIORATIVE EFFECTS OF STEM BARK OF THE WONDER TREE, PROSOPIS CINERARIA (L.) DRUCE AGAINST LPS-INDUCED TOXICITY: AN IN VITRO STUDY

Objective: The present experimental investigation was planned to unravel and analyze the therapeutic potential of hydro-ethanol extract prepared from the stem bark of Prosopis cineraria against LPS-induced toxicity under in vitro conditions. Methods: Liver tissue samples from healthy Swiss albino male mice (Mus musculus) were used for the study. Liver homogenate (0.9 ml) was treated with 0.05 mg/ml of LPS along with 0.01 to 0.05 mg/ml of hydro-ethanol plant extract and allowed to incubate at 37˚C. The reactions were terminated at different time points at 0 min, 30 min, 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, 8 h and 24 h and alterations in oxidative stress (LPO, CAT, SOD, GSH, GST, and GPx) and biochemical parameters of hepatic toxicity (AST and ALT, ACP and ALP) were studied. Results: The results demonstrated that the obliterations in the levels of oxidative and biochemical parameters due to LPS induced toxicity were restored by the treatment with hydro-ethanol extract of Prosopis cineraria under in vitro conditions. The altered levels were biochemical parameters were observed at 0.05 mg/ml LPS concentration after 2 h; but administration of hydro-ethanol plant extract at concentration 0.04 mg/ml effectively reduced its level when compared to LPS treated samples under in vitro conditions Conclusion: The present research work unravelled the alleviating potential of a hydro-ethanol extract of Prosopis cineraria against LPS-induced toxicity by combating oxidative stress under in vitro environment

Amelioration of lead-induced hepatotoxicity by Allium sativum extracts in Swiss albino mice

Lead is a blue–gray and highly toxic divalent metal that occurs naturally in the earth's crust and is spread throughout the environment by various human activities. The efficacy of garlic (Allium sativum) to reduce hepatotoxicity induced by lead nitrate was evaluated experimentally in male mice. Oral treatment with lead nitrate at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight daily for 40 days (1/45 of LD50) induced a significant increase in the levels of hepatic aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, cholesterol, lipid peroxidation, and lead nitrate. In parallel, hepatic protein levels in lead-exposed mice were significantly depleted. Lead nitrate exposure also produced detrimental effects on the redox status of the liver indicated by a significant decline in the levels of liver antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione. After exposure to lead nitrate (50 mg/kg body weight for 10 days), the animals received aqueous garlic extract (250 mg/kg body weight and 500 mg/kg body weight) and ethanolic garlic extract (100 mg/kg body weight and 250 mg/kg body weight), and partially restored the deranged parameters significantly. Histological examination of the liver also revealed pathophysiological changes in lead nitrate-exposed group and treatment with garlic improved liver histology. Our data suggest that garlic is a phytoantioxidant that can counteract the deleterious effects of lead nitrate

THERAPEUTIC EFFICACY OF ISOLATED STIGMA-5,22 DIEN-3-O-B-D-GLUCOPYRANOSIDE AND ETHANOLIC ROOT EXTRACT OF OPERCULINA TURPETHUM AGAINST N- NITROSODIMETHYLAMINE INDUCED HEPATOPATHY IN THE LIVER OF MICE: ULTRASTRUCTURAL AND HISTOLOGICAL EVIDENCES

Objective: Liver is the most important organ in the pivotal role of regulating various physiological processes and several vital functions like metabolism, secretion and storage. Plants are reputed in the indigenous systems of medicine for the treatment of various diseases. Toxicant or drug induced liver injury can be prevented by treating with non toxic hepatoprotective herbs, which can possess membrane stabilizing, hepatoprotective and antioxidant activities. NDMA (N- Nitrosodimethylamine) belongs to nitrosamine compounds which are known hepatic carcinogens. Methods: The aim of the present investigation was to analyse the effects of NDMA on the morphology of hepatic cells, to determine the reversible effect if any, after providing the treatment with the crude extract and isolated glycoside from the roots of Operculina turpethum. The treatment was given in different groups of Swiss Albino Mice. Results: Scanning Electron Microscopy and Light microscopical examinations indicated that NDMA treated mice livers (n = 6) displayed severe vascular and endothelial damage compared to control livers (n = 6). Liver sections appeared with inflammatory cellular infiltration, vacuolated hepatocytes, dilated sinusoids, increased number of Kupffer cells, fibrosis, endothelial fenestrations, intercellular spaces and spaces of Disse, and were accompanied by dilatation of bile canaliculi. Conclusion: These alterations were recovered with the treatment at the dose of 400 mg/kg of crude extract and 50 mg/kg of the isolated compound. Hence, it can be stated that this plant can show significant recovery in NDMA damaged livers

Design and Analysis of Robust H-infinity Controller

This paper presents a simplified step by step procedure for the design of H? controller for a given system.  H? control synthesis is found to guarantee robustness and good performance.  It provides high disturbance rejection, guaranteeing high stability for any operating conditions. H infinity controller can be designed using various techniques, but H infinity loop shaping finds wide acceptance since the performance requisites can be incorporated in the design stage as performance weights.  Here this technique has been utilized to address some simple problems. Simulation results are given in the end to verify the validity of technique. Keywords: H-infinity, loop shaping, weight selection, robust control, sensitivit

PHARMACOGNOSTIC AND PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING OF HELICTERES ISORA ROOTS

ABSTRACTObjective: Helicteres isora Linn. roots have been reported to use in microbial infection, diabetes, dysentery colic, scabies, wound healing, andgastropathy. The main objective of this study was preliminary phytochemical screening of various fractions of H. isora roots.Methods: In this study, pharmacognostic and phytochemical investigations on the various fractions of H. isora roots were carried out with thestandard procedures.Results: The pharmacognostic analysis revealed moisture content (0.18%), total ash (4%), acid insoluble ash (1%), and water soluble ash (1.5%). Thequalitative phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, saponin,steroids, terpenoids, and tannins.Conclusion: H. isora roots are a rich source of various biological active constituents. H. isora may be further investigated for the isolation of bioactivecompound that could be developed into drug for the treatment of various human diseases.Keywords: Helicteres isora, Pharmacognostic, Phytochemical, Roots.Â

Clinicohaematological study of anaemia in antenatal patients

Background: According to WHO, approximately 75% of pregnant women in developing countries and 18% in developed countries are anaemic. In India prevalence of anaemia is reported to be 33%-89% and is one of the important causes of maternal morbidity and mortality. The present study was done with the objective to study the socio-demographic factors related to anemia and the distribution of different types of anaemia in antenatal patients.Methods: A prospective analytical study was done on 205 pregnant females who presented with anemia (Hb <11 gm/dl) in 1st, 2nd and early 3rd trimester (up to 30 weeks of gestation) in the department of obstetrics and gynecology of Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital, Prayagraj from September 2017 to September 2018.Results: The rural background with lower socio-economic status comprised majority of the anemic patients (65.9%) with the major cause being iron deficiency anemia (68.8%). The patients mainly presented with anemia at late second or early third trimester (82.4%). Clinical signs like pallor, oedema and symptoms like palpitations and dyspnoea were more associated with severe anemia than mild and moderate anemia.Conclusions: Anemia prevention and prompt detection is the need of the hour with effective management. In India, major cause of anaemia are nutritional deficiencies which can be treated by proper diet and medications. The advises of routine iron supplementation during pregnancy, regardless of whether the mother is anemic or not, is strongly recommended by this study.

A Descriptive Study to Assess the Knowledge and Attitude Regarding Sexual Health among Adolescents in Selected School of New Delhi

Adolescence can be defined biologically, as the physical transition marked by the onset of puberty and the termination of physical growth; cognitively, as changes in the ability to think abstractly and multidimensionally or socially, as a period of preparation for adult roles. Major pubertal and biological changes include changes to the sex organs, height, weight, and muscle mass, as well as major changes in brain structure and organization. Cognitive advances encompass both increment in knowledge and in the ability to think abstractly and to reason more effectively. A quantitative and non-experimental research approach with a descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. Sample consisted of 100 adolescents of age 13 to 16 years studying in 9 to 11th class, Tagore Senior Secondary School, New Delhi, selected using systematic random sampling technique. Structured knowledge questionnaire (SKQ) to assess the knowledge regarding sexual health among adolescents and attitude scale to assess the attitude regarding sexual health among adolescents was used. Results showed that approximately 50% were having good knowledge, 32% were having fair knowledge and 18% were having poor knowledge regarding sexual health. More than half of the adolescents had unfavorable attitude regarding sexual health. The study revealed that there was significant relationship between knowledge and demographic profiles of the study subjects, i.e. religion, father’s educational status and mother’s educational status