Antioxidant and Skeletal Muscle Relaxant Activity of Leaf Extract of Plant Piper Attenuatum (B. HAM)

Piper attenuatum (B. Ham) is traditional medicinal plant in India. It has been claimed in traditional Indian system of medicine that the phytochemical constituents present in P. attenuatum (B. Ham) have Antioxidant and skeletal muscle relaxant activity. So the present study aimed to evaluate anti–oxidant and skeletal muscle relaxant activity of ethanolic, aqueous and ethanolic leaf extract of plant P. attenuatum (B. Ham), respectively. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by in vitro as well as in vivo methods. Invitro method we used DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging assay and H2O2 (Hydrogen Peroxide) scavenging assay while in vivo methods antioxidant enzymes like Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and reduced glutathione (GSH) were assayed by using animal models. Anti-oxidant activity of following concentrations 10μg/mL, 20μg/mL, 30μg/mL, 40μg/mL and 50μg/mL were measured for both extracts. Ethanolic extract of P. attenuatum (B. Ham) was evaluated at dose of 100mg/kg and 200 mg/kg b.w. for skeletal muscle relaxant activity by using rota rod apparatus. The high antioxidant activity was found in the ethanolic extract of P. attenuatum (B. Ham) compared to aqueous one. For muscle relaxation, 200 mg/kg b.w. showed a significant reduction in the time spent by the animals on the revolving rod compared to the control. From the above study it may be concluded that both extract of P. attenuatum (B. Ham) having Anti – oxidant and skeletal muscle relaxant activity

ROLE OF AGNI KARMA IN SNAYU VIKARA W.S.R. TO TENNIS ELBOW

The Tennis Elbow is likely to be the most common insertional tendinopathy of the human body and is found to be associated with some particular occupations and life style. No such disease has been mentioned in the Ayurvedic text. Here in the OPD of R.G.G.P.G.A.C. & Hospital, we have a very good no. of patients of Tennis Elbow, who dont get relief by the conservative management and also do not want to go for Local anesthetic and hydrocortisone. And also it is found that Local anesthetic and hydrocortisone is not a standard treatment for these patients and the surgery is beyond the capacity of the patients of a developing country like ours and also has its own risk. In Sushruta samhita, Agnikarma has been mentioned for disorders of Snayu (ligaments and tendons), Asthi (bone), Sandhi (joints). In Ayurveda, Snayu Vikara can be correlated with the condition of tennis elbow. This therapy provided considerable relief in pain and movement of the elbow joint. Therefore, a study has been designed to understand this disease on Ayurvedic principles and to establish a standard treatment, which can cure this disease or provide long term relief and within the reach of common man and without any side effect

Developing organizational capabilities to deliver lean and green project outcomes using BIM

This paper describes the process through which an organization develops organizational capabilities by tapping the technical skills and social skills of its employees in the use of BIM to deliver lean and green project outcomes. The resulting framework for BIM-based organizational capabilities development comprising of three hierarchical layers—technology, process and outcomes—is explained. For this study, BIM has been identified as an enabler and a process for achieving lean and green outcomes on construction projects. Based on a detailed literature review, this paper identifies the organizational capabilities needed by the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) organizations to effectively implement BIM on construction projects. The study has been conducted through a sequential mixed-method approach involving semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and qualitative comparative analyses. It was discovered that to attain desired project outcomes, an organization needs to embrace an underlying BIM adoption culture not only within its project teams but also within the organization as a whole. The study also concluded that an integrated approach to BIM usage—connecting it with lean and green initiatives—on construction projects resulted in improved project outcomes, especially ones targeting lean and green aspects of improvements. The proposed outline for BIM-based organizational capabilities will help the organizations focus on the ‘human factors’ along with the technical factors while striving for successful usage within their organizations. Using the organizational capabilities matrix, this paper highlights the importance of technical and social skill sets of an individual employee and their role in developing the organizational capabilities to gain the desired lean and green outcomes

In vivo terahertz imaging to evaluate scar treatment strategies : silicone gel sheeting

Silicone gel sheeting (SGS) is widely used for scar treatment; however, studies showing its interaction with skin and efficacy of scar treatment are still lacking. THz light is non-ionizing and highly sensitive to changes in water content and thus skin hydration. In this work, we use in-vivo THz imaging to monitor how SGS affects the THz response of human skin during occlusion, and the associated THz reflectivity and refractive index changes are presented. We find that SGS effectively hydrates the skin beneath it, with minimal lateral effects beyond the sheeting. Our work demonstrates that THz imaging is able to detect the subtle hydration changes on the surface of human skin caused by SGS, and it has the potential to be used to evaluate different scar treatment strategies

THz in vivo measurements : the effects of pressure on skin reflectivity

Terahertz (THz) light is non-ionizing and highly sensitive to subtle changes in water concentration which can be indicative of disease. The short THz penetration depth in bio-samples restricts in vivo measurements to be in a reflection geometry and the sample is often placed onto an imaging window. Upon contacting the imaging window, occlusion and compression of the skin affect the THz response. If not appropriately controlled, this could cause misleading results. In this work, we investigate and quantify how the applied pressure affects the THz response of skin and employ a stratified model to help understand the mechanisms at play. This work will enable future THz studies to have a more rigorous experimental protocol, which in turn will facilitate research in various potential biomedical applications under investigation

Early exclusion of major adverse cardiac events in emergency department chest pain patients: A prospective observational study

Background The current evaluation of patients with chest pain presenting to an emergency department (ED) with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a lengthy process involving serial measurements of troponin. Objective We aimed to validate the diagnostic accuracy of a Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) score with single high-sensitive cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) for early rule out of 30-day major adverse cardiac events (MACE), and to compare the TIMI score with combinations of heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP) and a modified HEART (history, electrocardiogram, age, risk factors, troponin) score. Methods We recruited 602 consecutive adult patients with chest pain and suspected ACS in the ED. Each patient had TIMI and HEART scores, and a point-of-care H-FABP test. Results MACE occurred in 42 (7.0%) patients within 30 days. A low risk for 30-day MACE was identified by a modified TIMI score of 0 in 65 (11%) patients, and by a HEART score ≤ 2 in 96 (16%) patients. No MACE occurred in these groups, giving both scores a sensitivity of 100% (95% confidence interval [CI] 91.6–100%), and specificity of 11.6% (95% CI 9.2–14.5%) and 17.1% (95% CI 14.2–20.5%), respectively. Use of combined TIMI and HEART scores improved the specificity further to 22.0% (95% CI 18.7–25.6%) without lowering sensitivity. Early H-FABP measurement > 7 μg/L had a sensitivity of 41.5% (95% CI 27.8–56.6%) and a specificity of 91.1% (95% CI 88.4–93.2%) for predicting 30-day MACE. Conclusions A modified TIMI score of 0 or a HEART score of ≤ 2, incorporating a single hs-cTnT level, will identify patients with low risk of 30-day MACE for early discharge within 2 h of ED arrival

Do human critical success factors matter in adoption of sustainable manufacturing practices? An influential mapping analysis of multi-company perspective

Sustainable human factors and change management systems have been gaining significant attention at global level for implementation of sustainable practices within organisations. With the rise in environmental degradation, the automotive sector has made efforts to adopt Sustainable Manufacturing (SM) practices to decrease the adverse effects on the environment instigated by emissions. Human Critical Success Factors (HCSFs) may play an important role in adoption of SM but in literature, no study has yet discussed the influence of HCSFs on the adoption of SM practices. The current work is an effort to fill this gap and to analyse the importance of HCSFs in adopting SM practices from a multi-automotive company perspective. In the first phase study, HCSFs were identified from existing literature and an empirical analysis was carried out to finalise identified HCSFs. In the second phase, to understand the influential relationship among these HCSFs, a DEMATEL approach was employed for developing a cause-effect model for each company. The result suggested that 'Green motivation', 'Customer relationship management', 'Management leadership', 'Communication' and 'Strategic alignment' are the highly significant causal HCSFs in efficient adoption of SM practices. The results of the study will help industry practitioners and managers to make strategic plans in the context of SM practices and its relationship with human factors for sustainable business development.N/

DCE-MRI for pre-treatment prediction and post-treatment assessment of treatment response in sites of squamous cell carcinoma in the head and neck

Background and Purpose It is important to identify patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) who fail to respond to chemoradiotherapy so that they can undergo post-treatment salvage surgery while the disease is still operable. This study aimed to determine the diagnostic performance of dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE)-MRI using a pharmacokinetic model for pre-treatment predictive imaging, as well as post-treatment diagnosis, of residual SCC at primary and nodal sites in the head and neck. Material and Methods Forty-nine patients with 83 SCC sites (primary and/or nodal) underwent pre-treatment DCEMRI, and 43 patients underwent post-treatment DCE-MRI, of which 33 SCC sites had a residual mass amenable to analysis. Pre-treatment, post-treatment and %change in the mean Ktrans, kep, ve and AUGC were obtained from SCC sites. Logistic regression was used to correlate DCE parameters at each SCC site with treatment response at the same site, based on clinical outcome at that site at a minimum of two years. Results None of the pre-treatment DCE-MRI parameters showed significant correlations with SCC site failure (SF) (29/83 sites) or site control (SC) (54/83 sites). Post-treatment residual masses with SF (14/33) had significantly higher kep (p = 0.05), higher AUGC (p = 0.02), and lower % reduction in AUGC (p = 0.02), than residual masses with SC (19/33), with the% change in AUGC remaining significant on multivariate analysis. Conclusion Pre-treatment DCE-MRI did not predict which SCC sites would fail treatment, but post-treatment DCE-MRI showed potential for identifying residual masses that had failed treatment