Medicinal plants are the gift of nature and play an important role as a part of our diet to maintain health. They also serve as a versatile weapon to combat several diseases. Every civilization has its own experience and knowledge of the therapeutic uses of plants. The belief and observations regarding traditionally used medicinal plants increase people's interest in using them against urolithiasis. Urolithiasis is a common problem that has been afflicted for centuries and has a high recurrence. Of the world's population, about 12% suffer from urolithiasis. All over the world, in different countries and cultures, people use plants to prevent and cure kidney stones according to their ethnopharmacological information. These formulations are very effective. That's why they have been used for hundreds of years. This review covers the eighty (80) medicinal plants of the most cited family Asteraceae against urolithiasis and their historical antiurolithiatc background shared in well-known books of Dioscorides, Pliny the Elder, Al Razi and Ibn Sina. This information was extracted to compose antiurolithiatic plants with their parts and formulations used in 21 countries such as Algeria, America, Australia, China, India, Iran, Italy, Jordan, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Mexico, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippine, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey and Uzbekistan. Scientifically proven pharmacological activities of the same part of the plant have direct (litholytic) and direct pharmacological effects like analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, astringent, demulcent, diuretic, litholytic, lithotriptic, antiurolithiatic, antispasmodic, ACE inhibition and Phospholipase A2 inhibition also shared as a plausible mechanism of action. The route of administration is oral in all cases. Hopefully, this book will be useful for the general public and attract the scientific world for antiurolithiatic drug discovery. This valuable ethnopharmacological information will provide opportunities for the future research and development of new natural antiurolithiatic compounds.
Host plant resistance is an important tool for minimizing the losses in pigeonpea due to spotted pod borer, Maruca vitrata, which is the most threatening hidden pest of pigeonpea crop. Experiment was carried out to study the morphological and chemical traits in pigeonpea associated with expression of resistance to M. vitrata and their incidence in different sowing dates. The incidence of M. vitrata varied significantly among different sowing dates. Crop sown on D2 (1st week of July) resulted in maximum pod infestation by M. vitrata (13.1%). Minimum pod infestation (2.3%) and (2.9%) was recorded in D4 (3rd week of July) and D1 (3rd week of June) sown crop, respectively. Among different varieties, AL-201 registered lowest pod infestation (4.3%) as compared to Pusa-992 (7.9%). The non-glandular (type A), and glandular (type B) pod trichome density of top, middle and lower canopy of the plant and the pod wall thickness was responsible for the resistance to M. vitrata. Whereas, non-glandular (type C) pod trichomes, pod length, seed width and number of seeds per pod were associated with the susceptibility to spotted pod borer. Expression of resistance to M. vitrata pod infestation was associated with low amounts of crude protein and total soluble sugar and higher amount of fat content, phenol content and tannin content of seed as well as pod wall
Conservation agricultural (CA) practices prove to be beneficial in terms of resource utilization and maintenance of soil health. Rice-Wheat cropping system (RWCS) is the majorcropping system in Indo-Gangetic plains of India. CA practices are becoming popular in this cropping system as sustainable agricultural management practices. Phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are important primary nutrients and are required for crop growth. A field experiment was conducted during the period of 2015-2017 at Taraori village of Karnal district in Haryanato study the effects of conservation agricultural practices on P and K availability as well as uptake in rice-wheat cropping system. The experiment comprised of four treatments i.e. Transplanted rice + Conventionally tilled wheat (T1), Direct seeded rice + Zero tilled wheat with residue retention (T2), Transplanted rice + Zero tilled wheat (T3) and Transplanted rice + Zero tilled wheat with residue retention (T4). Results showed that P uptake was highest in T4 treatment in wheat crop. P uptake in rice was highest in T4 treatment while direct seeded rice (T2) showed lowest P uptake. CA practices also increased K uptake in both the crops. Practicing zero tillage in wheat increased the availability of soil phosphorus as compared to conventionally tilled treatment with highest value (34 kg ha-1) recorded in T3 treatment. But direct seeded rice soil showed lower values of soil available P. Similar to phosphorus, available potassium of soil also increased in all treatments. Highestvalue (341.5 kg ha-1) of available K was recorded in T4 treatment while it was minimum (307.2 kg ha-1) in T1. Residue incorporation in soil led to more availabilityof K in T2 and T4 treatment. This study features the significance of conservation agricultural practices over conventional practices in terms of increasing the uptake and availability phosphorus and potassium in soil. Key words : Conservation agriculture,
Urolithiasis, the process of urinary stone formation, entails the presence of compact masses like whewellite, brushite, and urate within the urinary system. Gout, characterized by inflammatory arthritis, emerges from the accumulation of urate (MSUM) crystals. In vitro, examinations focusing on the growth of whewellite (COM), brushite (CHPD), and urate (MSUM) crystals on glass slides present a cost-effective approach for gaining valuable insights into urolithiasis and gout. These studies not only delve into crystal growth patterns but also investigate the potential inhibition of crystal growth through the application of plant infusions, thereby laying the foundation for further extensive research in these domains.
The ability of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) for effective binding to multiple target microbes has drawn lots of attention as an alternative to antibodies for detecting whole bacteria. We investigated pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) detection by applying a microfluidic based biosensing device embedded with AMP-labeled beads. According to a new channel design, our device is reusable by the repeated operation of detection and regeneration modes, and the binding rate is more enhanced due to even distribution of the bacterial suspension inside the chamber by implementing influx side channels. We observed higher binding affinity of pathogenic E. coli O157:H7 for AMP-labeled beads than nonpathogenic E. coli DH5α, and the fluorescence intensity of pathogenic E. coli was about 3.4 times higher than the nonpathogenic one. The flow rate of bacterial suspension should be applied above a certain level for stronger binding and rapid detection by attaining a saturation level of detection within a short time of less than 20 min. A possible improvement in the limit of detection in the level of 10 cells per mL for E. coli O157:H7 implies that the AMP-labeled beads have high potential for the sensitive detection of pathogenic E. coli at an appropriate flow rate.
Purpose Noise pollution is a common health hazard worldwide which is emitted along with chemical air pollutants, simultaneously from many sources. Some studies have been conducted to control these pollutants, simultaneously with promising results being achieved. Dielectric beads have been used in air pollution control technologies, successfully and probable effectiveness of them in noise reduction can be promising in dual use of them in the exhausts emitting noise and air pollution, simultaneously. Methods In order to investigate the effectiveness of dielectric beads in noise reduction, two types of them; namely glass and ceramic beads, were placed separately inside the connecting tube of a double-expansion chamber muffler. Then the transmission loss (TL) of muffler was examined using impedance tube. A factorial design was used to evaluate and optimize the effect of noise related parameters on TL of such a system. Results Results show that the presence of dielectric beads has significant effect on TL of muffler. The maximum TL was obtained as 74.76 dB for muffler with ceramic beads, under the optimal condition of 5250 Hz and 120 dB. Measurement of TL and sound absorption coefficient (SAC) of glass and ceramic beads showed that the noise reduction in muffler with ceramic and glass beads is probably due to SAC in ceramic beads and noise reflections in glass beads, respectively. Conclusion These results promise the dual use of dielectric beads in the exhausts emitting noise and air pollution simultaneously.
Medical research is defined as "all scholarly activities that deal with any of the areas of studies being conducted in the pre, para, and clinical areas being taught in a medical school". Such a definition is somewhat arbitrary, as medical research covers a much larger field and ultimately affects every individual. The results of research activities are directly translated into social action, such as pollution control, vaccinations, mass fluoridation and nutritional improvements. The eradication of diseases like smallpox, poliomyelitis and plague, the decline in the death rate from infectious and cardiovascular diseases, and the diagnosis of genetic disorders are some examples of how medical research helps to provide improved health care. Thus, the wealth of medical knowledge that grows through the process of discovery and research development becomes part of daily living. The aim of scientific research is always to extend the frontiers of knowledge and to discover rational correlations and principles [1, 2]. Medical research can be divided into biomedical (basic medical), clinical, and health science research. The areas overlap each other and health science research has a component of social research. Experimental research covers areas such as physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, pharmacology and pathology and is relatively easy to conduct. If adequate financial support is obtained, the necessary infrastructure for laboratory research could be built and experimental animals maintained in an animal house. For clinical research, the patients with a particular disease are the direct object of study. This type of research involves dealing with the clinical picture, diagnosis, therapy and prognosis of the disease. Dealing with human beings requires stringent regulations and precautions to be observed. It requires setting up a research team in the hospital to monitor and chart out guidelines involving the ethical dimension of the problem to be studied and maintain a systematic medical recording system. Moreover, it is through a prolonged study of a large number of cases of the same disease that clinical research learns to predict the likely prognosis and judge the efficacy of the treatment. This type of research activity has limitations in the form of having a restricted number of cases of the disease under investigation, a need to update one's knowledge concerning laboratory techniques from which he obtains his 'cues', and the longer time interval required to complete the work. Health science research is a recent development of medical research due to the demands placed on many health services. More often basic medical and clinical research go hand in hand and are inseparable. Furthermore, clinical research workers often conduct studies on experimental animals, due to either the limited number of human cases or for ethical considerations.
Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
To the editor, Breast cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide, necessitating innovative and multifaceted therapeutic strategies. [1] We propose a promising combination approach that synergizes Artificial Intelligence (AI), oncolytic virotherapy, probiotic therapy, stem cell therapy, and immunotherapy to target breast cancer more effectively.
During this research work, a theoretical study was done to compare the boiler efficiency by using two different fuels, i.e. commercial sawdust briquette and biomass briquette prepared using 850 μ coconut leaves, with sawdust as the binder. For preparing the biomass briquettes to leave of coconut were gathered, dried, milled, and sieved and sizes of 850μ were selected. The sized coconut leaves were then mixed in the company of sawdust that worked as a binder in 1:2 ratios, and compressed by means of a piston-type briquette machine, which was fabricated for the same. Ultimate and proximate analyses were carried out on the biomass briquette to determine their various compositions. Results from analysis were used to calculate the boiler efficiency by the indirect method using Indian Standard Boiler Efficiency IS 8753. Results from the analysis showed that boiler efficiency by indirect method for commercial sawdust briquette is 68.80% and boiler efficiency by indirect method for coconut leaves of 850μ, with sawdust as a binder is 61.17%. The reason for higher boiler efficiency for commercial sawdust briquette is due to its higher calorific value (4451.37KCal/gm) when compared to that coconut leaves briquette made from 850μ size with sawdust as a binder (3672.45KCal/gm). From proximate and ultimate analysis, the results showed a reduction in ash content percentage, moisture content, and rise in volatile matter percentage, when the comparison was along with the marketable sawdust briquette, which is of considerable significance. Additional properties akin to the percentage of hydrogen, fixed carbon, sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen were roughly the same as that of the commercially available sawdust briquettes. After calculating the boiler efficiency of the two biomass briquettes, coconut leaves with sawdust as binder exhibited the most optimistic trait and as it is more easily and readily available, thus making it more economically viable.
Background: This study investigated the utilization of consumer health informatics in health promotion among the staff of tertiary institutions in Rivers state. Subjects & Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive research design was used. Two research questions guided this paper. The population of this paper comprised all the 13,046 staff of tertiary institutions in Rivers state. A sample of 1226 staff was drawn using multi-stage sampling techniques. An instrument titled, “Utilization of Consumer Health Informatics in Health Promotion Questionnaire” (UCHIHPQ) was adopted for data collection. The instrument was validated and reliability yielded an index of 0.80. Mean and Standard Deviation statistics were used to answer the research questions. The statistical analysis was performed with the use of SPSS v23. Results: The result revealed among others that to a very large extent, the respondents accepted that consumer health informatics was used to improve their nutritional and physical health status. Conclusion: It was therefore concluded and recommended among others that staff of tertiary institutions in Rivers state should regularly use intelligent informatics applications to attain a healthy balance between self-reliance and seeking professional help concerning nutritional and physical health matter
Fused silica capillaries treated with N, N-didodecyl-N, N-dimethylammonium bromide was used in capillary electrophoresis to separate basic proteins using ammonium acetate as BGE at pH 4.0, 70 mM. This surfactant forms a semi-stable coating that provides a strong anodic electroosmosis; however, such coating must regularly be regenerated to maintain efficiency and reproducibility. The temporal stability of the coating was greatly improved by a new procedure as described in previously study by our group. In this study, it is found such experimental conditions that the starting zone could be enriched without loss of sample. The injection of a short plug of the BGE diluted 100 times for 3 sec in 50 µm i.d. capillaries behind the sample zone at 15 kV gave the best performance, whereas, a plug of lower dilution degree (10 times) in 25 µm i.d injected for 3 sec at the same field strength gave the optimum results for this dimension. In conclusion, those conditions were found to effectively decrease the loss of sample and to give a higher separation performance in regard to peak efficiency and resolution compared to injecting the sample without a plug.
Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
Inflammation is a natural aspect of the immune system's response. Pain, redness, heat or warmth, and swelling are the four major symptoms of inflammation. Plants can generate a vast range of phytochemical substances as secondary metabolites, all of which have anti-inflammatory properties. Herbal medicines are significant cures for the treatment of a variety of disorders around the world. Medicinal plants are made up of roughly 7500 species, with representatives from about 17,000 higher flowering plant species. Even when synthetic chemistry has advanced beyond expectations, the utilization of natural products in the production of medications utilized in modern medicine is unrivalled. Anti-inflammatory medicines can help to reduce tissue damage and improve patient comfort by interfering with the pathophysiology of inflammation. As a result of the huge number of species available for investigation, the effective creation of new naturally occurring anti-inflammatory medications relies mostly on a multidisciplinary approach to finding new compounds. Despite the fact that many review articles have been written in this area, the vast majority of them only looked at the subject from a regional perspective. Various non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines have been proven to alleviate pain and inflammation by inhibiting the isoform of cyclooxygenase enzyme's digestion of arachidonic acid, hence lowering prostaglandin synthesis. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines come with a slew of negative side effects. Thus, there are, however, medicinal herbs that have anti-inflammatory therapeutic properties with a little or no negative side effects.
Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
Considering the site (habitat) specific variations in the metabolic activities in the freshwater bivalves, we reported here the changes in the rate of oxygen consumption, rate of ammonia excretion and O: N ratio in the freshwater bivalve mollusc, Lamellidens marginalis (Lamark) from lotic and lentic water habitats on April-May during summer season. The adult freshwater bivalves, Lamellidens marginalis (82-84 mm shell length) from lotic and lentic water near Jayakwadi dam on Godavari river was selected for determination of rate of oxygen consumption, rate of ammonia excretion and O: N ratio. The adult bivalves from lotic water habitat showed high rate of oxygen consumption and low rate of ammonia excretion. The O: N ratio showed higher values in bivalves collected from lotic water than lentic water during summer season. The results of study are discussed in the light of possible physiological processes in freshwater bivalve molluscs.
The exponential growth of biomedical literature presents both an unprecedented opportunity and a significant challenge for medical professionals and students. Conducting a thorough yet efficient literature review is a fundamental skill, essential for evidence-based practice (EBP), research, education, and scholarly writing. However, navigating this vast information landscape effectively remains a common hurdle. This review aims to provide a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to conducting efficient and rigorous literature reviews tailored to the needs of medical professionals and students. It focuses on practical strategies, critical appraisal techniques, synthesis methods, and leveraging technology to optimize the process while maintaining scientific integrity. A narrative review methodology was employed, synthesizing established principles and methods from evidence-based medicine, information science, and academic writing. Key sources include guidelines from major medical libraries, EBP resources, and authoritative texts on research methodology and critical appraisal. The review outlines a structured approach encompassing: defining a focused question using frameworks like Participants; Intervention/Exposure; Comparison; and Outcome (PICO/PECO); developing and executing a systematic search strategy across multiple databases; efficient screening and selection of relevant literature; critical appraisal of study quality and relevance; effective synthesis of findings (narrative, thematic, or tabular); clear and concise writing; and strategies for maintaining currency. Emphasis is placed on leveraging technology (reference managers, databases, and AI tools) cautiously and avoiding common pitfalls, such as scope creep and uncritical acceptance of findings. A life-long experience that the academic writer learns through life, and yet may fall into them easily. An efficient literature review is not merely about speed, but about systematic rigor, critical thinking, and strategic use of resources. By adopting the structured, technology-enhanced, and critically appraised approach outlined, medical professionals and students can navigate the literature effectively, saving valuable time while producing high-quality, evidence-informed outputs for clinical practice, research, and education.
A new feature generates customer delight by using modern computer vision techniques to drive new search paradigms through visual discovery.
Streptococcus bovis/gallolyticus was considered as lower grade pathogen involved in endocarditis. Recent accumulating evidence has suggested that Streptococcus bovis/gallolyticus plays an important role in the initiation and development of colorectal cancer. This study was aimed to address the association between Streptococcus bovis/gallolyticus and colorectal cancer among Libyan patients, to determine the dominant biotype of Streptococcus bovis/gallolyticus associated with colorectal cancer patients and to evaluate the antibiotic susceptibly patterns of isolated strains. The study involved 20 colorectal cancer patients, 20 patients with large adenomas polyp and 20 people with healthy colonic mucosa as a control group. All the candidates were subjected to colonoscopy and histopathological examinations and conformation. The suspected and normal cases were then diagnosed according to the protocol used by the medicine specialist and grouped in accord with the study aim. All biopsies were handled and treated to isolate the suspected positive colonies of Streptococcus bovis/gallolyticus. Of the 20 colorectal cancer patients, seven patients (35%) were found to be Streptococcus bovis/gallolyticus carriers, (95% CI 1.22 - 1.72, p < 0.05). Nine patients (45%) were diagnosed colorectal cancer positive at age above 60 years old, eight patients (40%) at age 40 - 60 years old and three patients (15%) at age bellow 40 years old. Also, nine out of 20 patients (45%) with large adenomas polyp were found to be Streptococcus bovis/gallolyticus carriers, (95% CI 2.16 - 2.71, p < 0.05). Of the 20 healthy people with colonic mucosa, Streptococcus bovis/gallolyticus never been isolated. Streptococcus. bovis biotype II/I and Streptococcus. equinis were both susceptible to the above mentioned antibiotic classes, although Streptococcus bovis biotype I was highly resistance to most clinically used antibiotics. However, there was strong relationship between Streptococcus bovis/gallolyticus and colorectal cancer or large polyp formation. However, it is not well understood whether the bacterium has a pathogenic role in the initiation and progression of neoplasia or just an epiphenomenon of colorectal neoplasms.
Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
Dr. G. Kamalakar, Pursuing Post-Doctoral Fellow ICSSR, Research Assistant, ICSSR Major Research Project, Department of History, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Open University. with a Ph.D in Political Science. He is awarded Doctorate by the Osmania University, Hyderabad, for the thesis on “WTO and GATS: Implication for the Indian Higher Education”. He is the recipient of RGNF Fellowship from the UGC and Pre-Doctoral Fellowship from OUCIP. He worked as a guest faculty at City College, Hyderabad and as a Counselor at Ambedkar Open University. He has written 3 books and edited 4 books and also published research articles in 17 UGC care list Journals. He also reviewed 11 Books and published them in UGC care list journals and sage publications. He received 7 awards including Amazing Grace Award, Pride India Award, Dr.B.R. Ambedkar Excellency Award, International Research Excellence Award, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Life Time Achievement National Award, National best Teacher Award and Vidya Bharati Award. He presented research papers in more than 24 International, National Conferences and seminars. He has published thematic research papers in 13 National and 30 International Level Peer Reviewed / Refereed Research Journals He is also the Assistant Editor to an International journal and a Member of Editorial board & Reviewer for National and International journals published from 20 countries like USA, Turkey, Syria, UK, Pakistan, China etc. and has membership in 4 various associations.
The identification of isomorphism in epicyclic gear trains has been found a lot of attention by researchers for the last few years. Various methods have been suggested by different authors for the detection of isomorphism in planer kinematic chains and epicyclic gear trains (EGTs), but everyone has found some difficulties to address new issues. In this paper, a modified path matrix approach was presented in order to compare all the distinct geared kinematic mechanisms. A new method based on the matrix approach and corresponding train values is required to identify isomorphism among epicyclic gear trains and their mechanisms. The proposed method was examined on the basis of various examples from four-link, five-link, six links, and eight-link one-degree-of-freedom EGTs and six links two-degree-of-freedom EGTs. All the examples have been found satisfactory results with existing literature.
By using mathematical vectors calculations as financial modeling then further into a new form of quantitative analysis instrument for linear financial computation graphs. A new tool in financial data analysis as an indicator
Research on treatment for diabetes and co-occurring eating disorders is sparse. We examined outcomes from multidisciplinary residential treatment for women with type 1 diabetes and eating disorders and the impact of treatment duration on outcomes. Participants were 29 women with type 1 diabetes and eating disorders receiving residential treatment. Repeated measures analyses of variance examined changes in blood glucose and psychological symptoms over treatment. Analyses were repeated to include treatment by duration interactions. Treatment produced significant reductions in blood glucose, eating disorder symptoms, and psychological concerns. Longer treatment duration was associated with greater improvements in psychological symptoms. Disordered eating is alarmingly common among individuals with type 1 diabetes mellitus, with rates of co-occurring diabetes and eating disorders estimated as high as 40% (Young etal., 2012; Young-Hyman & Davis, 2012). The most commonly noted link between type 1 diabetes and eating disorders is in the form of purging through insulin omission for weight loss purposes (Darbar & Mokha, 2008), which has been noted for individuals with diabetes co- occurring with anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS; Nielsen, 2002; Peveler & Fairburn, 1989). However, even among individuals with diabetes who do not omit insulin, eating disorder symptoms are elevated (Jones, Lawson, Daneman, Olmsted, & Rodin, 2000).
Augustine University Ilara Epe, Lagos, Nigeria
Jntua, Aicte
Banasthali Vidyapith