Review of Shodhana in Rasashastra

Ayurveda, the science of life is being practised by Aryans from Vedic period. Kalpana is the process through which a substance transformed into different medicine form according to the need. In Rasashastra almost all the drugs are advised to be processed with specific Shodhana process before their internal uses. Shodhana, which literally means purification and converting drug fit for further procedure. Hence, the Shodhana process is aimed to remove impurities present in the drugs. Shodhana procedure is necessary for every drug before taking it for adding in any compound or subjecting it for further processes. After Shodhana process the drug - Physical, Chemical and biological changes take place, which are required for proper therapeutic action of the end product

An Ayurvedic approach in the management of Unexplained Infertility - A Case Study

Infertility is an emerging health problem that has profound socioeconomic and health implication on both the individual and society. Unexplained Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive even after one year with routine investigations of infertility showing no abnormality; with overall incidence of 10-30%. Ayurveda explained female infertility as Vandhyatva and mentioned Garbha Sambhava Samagri (proper union of four factors like fertile period, healthy reproductive system, nutrition and healthy ovum and sperm) and Manasika Abhitapa (psychological and emotional factors) as chief  factors responsible for conception. In this case study patient aged 32 years who was anxious to conceive since four years of regular and satisfactory marital relationship seeking Ayurvedic management in Ahalia Ayurveda Medical College Hospital was taken. On detailed evaluation, vitiation of Vatadosha, loss of appetite, and loss of sleep was noticed. The line of treatment followed in this case was Sadhyo Virechana (Purgation) followed Vatanulomana (pacifies Vata Dosha), Deepana (appetizers), Pachana (digestives), Garbhasthapana (maintaining pregnancy), Rasayana Chikitsa (rejuvinative) with psychological assurance that favours conception in this couple

A Scale to Measure Impact of Front Line Demonstrations on Food Security and Climate Resilience

Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) were established to provide essential agricultural education and support to farmers at the grassroots level. These centers play a crucial role in disseminating advanced agricultural technologies and practices to improve the productivity and sustainability of farming. Front Line Demonstrations (FLDs) play a crucial role in agricultural extension programs of KVKs, providing a platform to demonstrate and validate new technologies, practices, and innovations directly in farmers' fields. They are an integral part of agricultural extension services, facilitating the smooth and effective transfer of knowledge and technology from research institutions to the farming community. The present study was conducted to develop a scale to measure the impact of Front Line Demonstrations on food security and climate resilience. We collected 107 statements, out of these 42 statements were selected through relevancy test. Out of 42 statements, 28 statements were retained on the final scale. Reliability and validity of the scale indicates its consistency and precision of the results

Classical Review of Gandhaka as per Rasendra Sara Sangraha

Gandhaka is an easily available and extensively used drug in Rasashastra. Gandhaka is extensively used as a therapeutic drug in various disorders. Explanation of its varieties, purification methods, therapeutic uses, and dose is explained in Rasashastra. Purification of Gandhaka mentioned in the classics making it therapeutically more potential. Rasendra Sara Sangraha is widely accepted as a comprehensive treatise of Rasashastra. Rasendra Sara Sangraha explains Gandhaka in detail under Uparasa along with its two methods of Gandhaka Shodhana which is the initial step in the preparation of any Rasaoushadhis. Reviewing the literary aspect of Gandhaka along with its Shodhana as described in the Rasendra Sara Sangraha is enumerated here

Cancer in women in Kerala - a transition from a less-developed state

An epidemiologic assessment of the problem of cancer in women in Kerala based on 3 Population Cancer Registry data and a Hospital Based data is presented. Kerala's Socio-economic and demography presents an intermediate development from a less developed to a better-developed state. As yet, the women follow a tradition-based life style. Cancer incidence rate in Kerala was only 80% of urban rates than seen in Urban Metropolis in India. The pattern of site distribution has shown that GI, Breast & Cervix cancers are the predominant cancers. Oral cavity cancers also show a high frequency. Thyroid cancer has a higher incidence rate in Kerala compared to other areas. Lung cancer among women has higher incidence rate in Karunagappally women. A high prevalence of tobacco use is reported among the men in the above area. Breast cancer incidence rate in the rural areas was only 60% of the rate seen in Urban Trivandrum. Unlike in other rural and urban areas of India Cervix cancer has a low incidence rate in Kerala women. This may be due to better education and also due to the changes in marital and other life style practices. Only 15% of cancer patients attend for medical assistance in localized stage of disease. The need for public education is highlighted and focusing on tobacco use control, self-examination and screening

Lung Cancer and Human Papilloma Viruses (HPVs): Examining the Molecular Evidence

Human papilloma virus (HPV), known to be an etiological agent for genital cancers, has been suggested also to be a possible contributory agent for lung cancer. Alternatively, lung cancer, formerly considered to be solely a smoker's disease, may now be more appropriately categorised into never smoker's and smoker's lung cancer. Through this paper we attempt to bring forth the current knowledge regarding mechanisms of HPV gaining access into the lung tissue, various strategies involved in HPV-associated tumorigenesis in lung tissue

Potential analysis of sunspot parameters and behaviour of random noise

Changes in solar magnetic field are responsible for initialisation and maintenance of different solar processes. Sunspots are clear manifestations of field variations and are good indicators of solar activity. Nature of activity can be well understood by analyzing the underlying sunspot dynamics. Techniques of potential analysis are used in this paper to investigate sunspot numbers and sunspot area, during the period 1875-2012, for finding out their stochastic behaviour. The presence of instabilities in the time series of sunspot numbers and sunspot area are examined in detail. The level of instability in sunspot numbers was observed to be maximum in the years 1953-1955, while that in sunspot area was maximum during 1887-1889. This study also concludes that random noise has a greater effect on dynamics of sunspot area than that on dynamics of sunspot numbers. Presence of high level of noise is noticed in both parameters during 1923-1925. Effect of random noise on the dynamics of sunspot number and area was shown to be very high during the years close to sunspot minima. Results reported can be helpful in predicting evolution of solar activity, which would be crucial in understanding solar-terrestrial phenomena

Socio- psychological Constructs and Perceived Economic Variables Impacting the Farmer Producer Organization members in Kerala: A Quantitative Analysis

The present study focused on assessing the socio-psychological constructs and perceived economic variables affecting the functioning of the FPOs. An ex-post facto research design was used in the study. The study was conducted in Kerala. Districts from Northern, Central, and Southern Kerala having the maximum number of FPOs were selected for the study. Wayanad from Northern Kerala, Idukki from Central Kerala, and Trivandrum from Southern Kerala were purposively selected for the study. A purposive sampling technique was used for the selection of the FPOs. Two functioning FPOs were purposively selected from the three districts based on discussion with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC), and Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK). From each selected FPO, 20 farmer members were randomly selected. A total of 40 farmers were surveyed from each district. Thus, from six FPOs in three districts, 120 farmer members were selected. A random sampling technique was used for the selection of the farmer members from each FPOs.  The study rigorously examined parameters such as age, education, annual income, scientific orientation, training attended, credit orientation, social participation, group cohesiveness, and creativity levels among FPO members. It was observed that FPOs comprised middle-aged farmers who completed their education up to the high school level. A substantial proportion of FPO members fell within the medium income category, scientific orientation, and have attended relatively fewer training sessions. Additionally, the research unveiled the fact that the majority of the FPO members belonged to a medium level of credit orientation, social participation, group cohesiveness, and creativity among FPO members. These factors play a critical role in shaping the dynamics and effectiveness of FPOs

Entrepreneurial Behaviour of Farmer Producer Organization Members: An Empirical Investigation

In the context of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), there is an imperative requirement for meticulous scholarly inquiry in the field of entrepreneurship due to the knowledge gap in comprehensive understanding of the psychological methodologies for quantitatively assessing entrepreneurship. Therefore, this research paper aims to assess the entrepreneurial behavior of FPO members, aiming to contribute to the existing body of knowledge in this field. An ex-post facto research design was used in the study. The study was conducted in Kerala. Districts from Northern, Central, and Southern Kerala having the maximum number of FPOs were selected for the study. Wayanad from Northern Kerala, Idukki from Central Kerala, and Trivandrum from Southern Kerala were purposively selected for the study. Purposive sampling technique was used for the selection of the FPOs based on discussion with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC), and Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK). Two functioning FPOs were purposively selected from the three districts From each selected FPO, 20 farmer members were randomly selected. A total of 40 farmers were surveyed from each district. Thus, from six FPOs in three districts 120 farmer members were selected. Random sampling technique was used for the selection of the farmer members from each FPOs.  Entrepreneurial behaviour was measured using Entrepreneurial Behaviour Index. The assessment of various dimensions of entrepreneurial behaviour such as risk taking, hope of success, persuasibility, feedback usage, persistence, self-confidence, knowledgeability, manageability, innovativeness and achievement motivation helped to gain a deeper understanding of the entrepreneurial characteristics within the FPO community. The findings of this study indicate that the majority of FPO members exhibit moderate levels of entrepreneurial behavior across different dimensions. Majority of the FPO members belonged to medium level of as risk taking, hope of success, persuasibility, feedback usage, persistence, self-confidence, knowledgeability, manageability, innovativeness and achievement motivation.  This suggests that FPO members possess a balanced blend of entrepreneurial traits, demonstrating a proactive and enterprising approach towards their agricultural activities

Tobacco chewing and female oral cavity cancer risk in Karunagappally cohort, India

This study examined oral cancer in a cohort of 78 140 women aged 30–84 years in Karunagappally, Kerala, India, on whom baseline information was collected on lifestyle, including tobacco chewing, and sociodemographic factors during the period 1990–1997. By the end of 2005, 92 oral cancer cases were identified by the Karunagappally Cancer Registry. Poisson regression analysis of grouped data, taking into account age and income, showed that oral cancer incidence was strongly related to daily frequency of tobacco chewing (P<0.001) and was increased 9.2-fold among women chewing tobacco 10 times or more a day. The risk increased with the duration of tobacco chewing during the first 20 years of tobacco chewing. Age at starting tobacco chewing was not significantly related to oral cancer risk. This is the first cohort study of oral cancer in relation to tobacco chewing among women