The composition, geographical variation and antimicrobial activity of Mentha longifolia subspecies polyadena (Lamiaceae) leaf essential oils

Mentha longifolia subsp. polyadena was collected from seven localities in South Africa and from a single population in Botswana to study the essential oil composition and antimicrobial activity of this ethnomedicinal plant. The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation and analysed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectroscopy (GC/MS) and a cluster analysis was performed on the essential oil dataset. From eight samples (representing eight natural populations), two major chemotypes were identified: (i) a menthofuran rich type (51.4% - 61.6%); and (ii) a cis-piperitone epoxide (14.7% – 35.7%) and piperitenone oxide (14.6% - 65.7%) rich type. The constituent analysis showed quantitative variation with higher amounts of oxygencontaining monoterpenes ranging from 56.5% to 89.6% whilst the sesquiterpene hydrocarbons ranged from 4.4% to 16.7%. The essential oil from the different localities mostly showed moderate to good antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Bacillus cereus, Moraxella catarrhalis, Yersinia enterocolitica and Enterococcus faecalis. The oils were generally inactive against Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium. Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans indicated highest sensitivities for oil samples from Komukwane (3 mg/ml and 0.5 mg/ml respectively) and Prins Albert (0.5 mg/ml and 1.6 mg/ml respectively). The HPLC profiles of the methanol and chloroform (1:1) extracts were more conservative and less variable compared to the essential oils. Two major peaks corresponding to retention times of 22.39 min and 26.47 min were present in all eight samples. Most of the solvent extracts displayed moderate to good antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive pathogens, in particular against S. aureus, S. epidermidis and B. cereus with MIC values ranging from 0.5 mg/ml to 2 mg/ml in most cases. The extracts also demonstrated moderate to good activity against most of the Gram-negative pathogens, in particular against Y. eneterocolitica and M. catarrhalis, with MIC values ranging from 0.5 mg/ml to 2 mg/ml. These results may in part provide scientific evidence for the extensive use of Mentha longifolia in traditional healing

Conceptualizing Free, Prior and Informed Consent: Interpreting Interpretations of FPIC

Over the last decade, the Indigenous right to free, prior and informed consent has become highly popularized within the private sector as a method of engaging Indigenous communities adversely affected by projects. Manifesting in various guidelines, “how to do” notes, and policies, free, prior and informed consent has found a new incarnation and application through the acronym ‘FPIC’. However, despite this proliferation of materials, there continues to be a marked failure to implement FPIC successfully worldwide. This thesis begins to question this shortfall, by offering the idea that the problems encountered at the practical level of operationalization are symptomatic of greater discords evident on the conceptual level of FPIC. By conducting literary close-readings on eight texts purported to be influential guidelines on implementing FPIC, this paper exposes the different understandings of free, prior and informed consent held by various stakeholders, including the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, industry standard-setting bodies, international financial institutions, and Indigenous organizations. Dialoguing these interpretations, this thesis reveals that as the meeting place of two underlying perspectives or worldviews, FPIC continuously fails to be sufficiently implemented due to the multiple understandings of its nature, its goal, and the way in which it functions

Navigating the Maze of Urban Voids: A Hybrid MCDM Approach for Site Selection for Urban Poor in PCMC, India

The rapid pace of migration has incurred a higher demand and a lower supply ratio of economically weaker section (EWS) housing, prompting the emergence of illegal squatters across several Indian cities, especially on public reservation lands, turning them into urban voids. Numerous government initiatives, at the central, state, and urban local body levels, have been attempted to provide housing to the urban poor living in slums, predominantly through in-situ redevelopment. However, the efforts lagged for several reasons. One of the major reasons is the lack of a methodical process for the logical selection of available slum sites for rehabilitation or redevelopment. This creates a challenging situation for the decision makers to prioritize these sites, as currently it is based on the notification date of slums and is majorly driven by political will. Hence, this research attempted to formulate a prioritization model for the selection of slum sites in the PCMC area by evaluating them with parameters derived from expert opinion. The Hybrid Multiple Attribute Decision Making (MADM) model, using weights derived from Shannon’s entropy, and ranking performed using the TOPSIS method were considered for prioritization of the slum sites. This unbiased scientific process will guide the decision makers in the appropriate allocation of available resources to uplift the urban poor living in slums, which is crucial for the sustainable urban development of India

Effect of folic acid and metformin on insulin resistance and inflammatory factors of obese children and adolescents

Background: Considering the increasing trend of obesity, especially in developing countries such as Iran, and the role of inflammatory factors and insulin resistance (IR) in the occurrence of obesity-related complications as well as the safety of some agents such as folic acid and metformin, this clinical trial was designed to investigate the effect of metformin and folic acid on inflammatory factors and IR among obese children. Materials and Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial study, sixty obese children aged 6-12 years were enrolled. Selected obese children were randomly allocated in two interventional (1 mg/daily folic acid or 1000 mg metformin for 8 weeks) groups. Biochemical measurements including homeostasis model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR), homocysteine (Hcy), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-8 (IL-8) were measured between and within the groups before and after trial. Results: In each group, thirty obese children were studied. The groups were age- and sex-matched. After folic acid and metformin administration, mean of Hcy, HOMA-IR, TNF-α, and IL-8 decreased significantly (P < 0.05). IL-6 decreased significantly after folic acid use (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The findings of this trial indicated that both metformin and folic acid could decrease IR and level of Hcy in obese children and adolescents. The effectiveness of metformin on IR was more significant than folic acid. Regarding the effectiveness of the two studied agents on inflammatory factors, it is suggested that the role of folic acid was superior to metformin. It is suggested that metformin is a proper agent for obese children with IR and folic acid is an appropriate supplement for obese children with increased inflammatory factors. © 2016 Journal of Research in Medical Sciences

Effects of Working Memory Demand on Performance and Mental Stress During the Stroop Task

Demands on working memory are associated with mental stress, but little is known about the underlying connection between the two. The primary purpose of this study was to quantify individual mental stress, and to monitor heart rate variability (HRV) during high and low working memory (WM) demands influenced by Stroop interference. Another aim was to quantify the performance and response time during the Stroop task and observe their trends during high and low (WM) demands. Finally, the third goal of this thesis was to predict the relationship between mental stress and performance. To this end heart rate was recorded both at rest and while performing the Stroop task. High and low WM demands were obtained by increasing the level of Stroop interference. The response time and performance were calculated for each difficulty level of the Stroop task, as well as during high and low WM demand. The power spectral components HF, LF, LF/HF and the time domain Mean R-R (S), Mean HR (1/min), were used as the components of HRV in the analysis. The results indicated that all the components of HRV examined were sensitive to WM demands. The HF and Mean R-R (S) components decreased with an increase in WM demands from the baseline values. The Mean HR (1/min), LF and the LF/HF ratio increased with increase in demands. Overall, the results indicated a reduction in HRV when higher order cognitive tasks were performed. The response time increased with WM demands. The performance in the Stroop task was decreased with an increase in WM demands. The results also indicated that an increase in WM demand correlates with an increase in an individual‟s stress level, and a decrease in performance level. The present thesis contributes to the ongoing analysis of human computer interaction in the laboratory environment, and its effects on the autonomic nervous system. It is recommended that future research be conducted at the workplace to better understand the relationship between human computer interaction and mental stress levels

Conceptual review on science of Marma with emphasis on Tridosha Siddhanta

The concept of Tridosha is the fundamental principle of Ayurveda, on which the entire concept of health and diseases along with therapeutics is based. When they are deranged, it leads to many disorders and complications. Marmas are the vital anatomical sites in our body, when get injured leads to various kinds of pain or deformity or may result fatal. Tridoshas are the important entity present at the places of Marmasthana. Acharya Sushruta has located the presence of Trigunas, Mahagunas and Bhootatma in the Marmas, where Soma (Jala Tatva), Maruta (Vayu Tatva), Teja (Agni Tatva) representing Tridoshas. Any trauma to these Marmas is likely to provoke both the Sharirika (Vata, Pitta and Kapha) and Mansika (Satwa, Raja and Tama) Doshas which thereby affect the body and the Manas (Psychological temperament)

A Systematic Literature Review With Bibliometric Meta-Analysis Of Deep Learning And 3D Reconstruction Methods In Image Based Food Volume Estimation Using Scopus, Web Of Science And IEEE Database

Purpose- Estimation of food portions is necessary in image based dietary monitoring techniques. The purpose of this systematic survey is to identify peer reviewed literature in image-based food volume estimation methods in Scopus, Web of Science and IEEE database. It further analyzes bibliometric survey of image-based food volume estimation methods with 3D reconstruction and deep learning techniques. Design/methodology/approach- Scopus, Web of Science and IEEE citation databases are used to gather the data. Using advanced keyword search and PRISMA approach, relevant papers were extracted, selected and analyzed. The bibliographic data of the articles published in the journals over the past twenty years were extracted. A deeper analysis was performed using bibliometric indicators and applications with Microsoft Excel and VOS viewer. A comparative analysis of the most cited works in deep learning and 3D reconstruction methods is performed. Findings: This review summarizes the results from the extracted literature. It traces research directions in the food volume estimation methods. Bibliometric analysis and PRISMA search results suggest a broader taxonomy of the image-based methods to estimate food volume in dietary management systems and projects. Deep learning and 3D reconstruction methods show better accuracy in the estimations over other approaches. The work also discusses importance of diverse and robust image datasets for training accurate learning models in food volume estimation. Practical implications- Bibliometric analysis and systematic review gives insights to researchers, dieticians and practitioners with the research trends in estimation of food portions and their accuracy. It also discusses the challenges in building food volume estimator model using deep learning and opens new research directions. Originality/value- This study represents an overview of the research in the food volume estimation methods using deep learning and 3D reconstruction methods using works from 1995 to 2020. The findings present the five different popular methods which have been used in the image based food volume estimation and also shows the research trends with the emerging 3D reconstruction and deep learning methodologies. Additionally, the work emphasizes the challenges in the use of these approaches and need of developing more diverse, benchmark image data sets for food volume estimation including raw food, cooked food in all states and served with different containers

Mycological profile of fungi associated with rhino-orbital mycosis in post-COVID-19 patients

Rhino-orbital mycosis is devastating fungal infection with high mortality and morbidity despite of recent advances in its diagnosis and treatment. It is caused by filamentous fungi of Mucorales order of the class of Zygomycetes. Rising number of cases presenting with fungal rhino-sinusitis with or without orbital involvement in patients recovered from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection was observed. Hence, present study was undertaken at a tertiary care hospital to know the mycological profile of fungi associated with these infections. Various clinical samples like deep nasal swabs, tissue from nasal cavity, nasal sinuses and orbital cavity were processed to isolate and identify fungi from suspected mucormycosis patients with standard mycological processes. Total 480 specimens from 226 patients suspected of mucormycosis were received in microbiology department of a tertiary care hospital, over 3 months period from April to June 2021. Rhino-orbital mycosis predominantly affected males and population over 50 years of age. Overall KOH positivity rate was 22.2% and culture positivity rate was 27.7% which was highest for tissue samples followed by deep nasal swabs. Most common isolate was Rhizopus spp. (51%) followed by Mucor (22%), Aspergillus (13%) and Rhizomucor (5%). Mixed infections with Mucor and Aspergillus were seen in 4% patients. Mucormycosis was observed in majority of post-COVID-19 patients and patients with high blood sugar. The majority of patients (64.1%) were suspected to have nasal involvement. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment play pivotal role in cases of mucormycosis. One should be vigilant to diagnose rhino-orbital mycosis as it is dreaded complication

BRD4 mediates TGF-beta-induced vascular smooth muscle cell differentiation

Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) differentiation is an essential component of vascular development. Vascular smooth muscle cells do not terminally differentiate, the regulatory factors modulate their phenotype between proliferative and differentiated states, which is a major factor contributing to vascular diseases like atherosclerosis, aneurysms, hypertension, etc. Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) family is highly conserved in mammals and plays an essential role in VSMC differentiation. The canonical TGF-β pathway is propagated by phosphorylation of receptor-associated Smad proteins (R-Smads) following TGF-β stimulation.Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) is a protein encoded by the BRD4 gene in humans. BRD4 is novel epigenetic modulator that has been implicated in different human diseases. It has gained wide attention in the field of cancer and lung diseases due to its multiple roles in the regulation of genes that are important for disease progression. There is increasing evidence that BRD4 also plays a significant role in a variety of cardiovascular diseases, proposing that understanding the mechanisms of BRD4 in these diseases is important for novel target development and clinical treatment. In this proposed study, the novel role and mechanisms of BRD4 in SMC differentiation is being investigated. In the process it was found that 10 T ½ cells successfully induce SMC differentiation, knockdown of BRD4 inhibit markers alpha-SMA and SM22alpha, qPCR showed knockdown by JQ1 and BRD4 does not influence smad phosphorylation (classic pathway). A combination of TAZ and Smad protein was tested

Heart Disease Prediction System

It might have happened many times that you need doctors to facilitate instantly, however, they’re not always available, or sometimes it’s all about the formalities before checkin thanks for some reason. This project is based on the Web Application for Online Consultancy for people all around the world. This WebApp allows us to consult ourselves while sitting at our home. Here we propose a system that enables users to urge instant direction on their health problems through an associate intelligent health care system. Nowadays, health diseases are increasing day by day due to lifestyle, hereditary. Each individual has different values for Blood pressure, Cholesterol, and Pulse rate. This project comprises different classification techniques used for predicting the risk level of each person based on Age, Gender, Blood pressure, Cholesterol, Pulse rate, etc. The system analyzes the symptoms provided by the user as input and predicts the occurrence of the disease as an output. Disease Prediction is done by implementing six algorithm techniques such as KNN, Decision Tree, Logistic Regression and Random Forest, SVM, Artificial Neural Network with 1 hidden layer. This project also provides an intuition on EDA. Further, the web platform is composed of predicting the health risk of the user, providing the users with necessary suggestions depending on their health conditions