Lavender and Purple Revolution: A review on the crop potential to boost and empower farming communities of North-Western Himalayas

Lavender (Lavandula spp.), a perennial flowering plant known for its distinctive aroma and medicinal properties, has been popularized all over the world. Lavender has its depictions in the ancient literature of Greeks and Romans as an herb with calming, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties which can help with stress relief, sleep, skin care and overall wellness. France, Bulgaria and India are the major lavender producers, with the latter experiencing a significant upsurge in commercial cultivation as a part of the Purple Revolution in recent years. With the objective of empowering farmers through improved socioeconomic development, higher income and sustainable farming, the Indian government launched the ‘Purple Revolution’ under CSIR Aroma Mission in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Lavender cultivation has improved environmental sustainability by fostering biodiversity, reducing soil erosion and adding richness to the agricultural landscape of India. Lavender cultivation has huge commercial potential as it is becoming an important component of a number of medicinal and aromatic industries due to increased consumer demand for natural and organic products. Hence, the expansion of lavender cultivation during the Purple Revolution offers improved agri-entrepreneurship opportunities for international trade and financial prosperity for farming communities

Unlocking the Potential of Copper Substituted Nickel Manganite Spinels for High-Performance Ammonia Gas Sensor.

Nanocrystalline powders of copper-substituted nickel manganite, Ni1-xCuxMn2O4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1), were synthesized using the sol-gel auto-combustion technique. Thermal analysis through TG-DTA provided insights into phase formation temperatures. X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that the synthesized compounds exhibit a uniform cubic phase. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) hinted nanosized morphology and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) further confirmed that the particles are nanosized, with an average diameter of 50 nm. The energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) results were in excellent agreement with the theoretical composition, affirming the successful synthesis of the target material. The gas responses of sintered materials were tested by exposing the films of sintered material to various gases like LPG, NH3, CO2 H2S, Cl2 and ethanol vapours. Evaluations demonstrated that the sensor with x = 0.25 exhibited remarkable selectivity and sensitivity toward ammonia (NH3) at a concentration of 3.33 ppm. This study underscores the exceptional potential of nanosized manganite materials for the sensitive detection of ammonia vapors, addressing a critical environmental and industrial challenge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.52783/jchr.v9.i4.600

Nanocrystalline Manganese Substituted Nickel Ferrite Thick Films as PPM Level H2S Gas Sensors

A simple sol-gel auto combustion technique is introduced for the synthesis of nanocrystalline manganese substituted nickel ferrite dry powders. These dry powders were mechano-chemically mixed with organic binders to prepare thixotropic pastes. Thixotropic pastes of as prepared ferrite powders were formulated and screen printed on glass substrates to form thick films, followed by firing at 450oC. The crystal structure, phase, surface morphology and topography of the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction study, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, etc. The gas sensing behavior of the samples were characterized by exposing the films to various inflammable and toxic gases like LPG, NH3, CO2, ethanol, H2S and Cl2. It was found that the sensors made from the composition containing x=1.0, exhibits highly selective and most sensitive towards 20 ppm of H2S gas at 3500C. The effect of operating temperature, gas concentration, type of gases, etc. on gas response were studied and discussed. DOI: 10.17762/ijritcc2321-8169.15082

On the front line: integrated habitat mapping for olive ridley sea turtles in the southeast Atlantic

notes:types: JOURThis study demonstrates that it is imperative that marine conservation policy recognizes the spatial extent of highly migratory species with expansive ranges. It also highlights that deficiencies exist in current knowledge of bycatch, both in gear specificity and in catch per unit effort. With integration of vessel monitoring system (VMS) data and those on fisheries catch, knowledge and understanding of bycatch may be improved, and this will ultimately facilitate development of appropriate management strategies and long-term sustainability of fisheries and their supporting ecosystems

Herb-Drug Interaction of Andrographolide on the Pharmacokinetics of Carbamazepine in Rats

Objective: To determine if andrographolide (AND) impacts the pharmacokinetics of carbamazepine (CBZ). Background: CBZ is an anticonvulsant medication that is metabolized in the liver by cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes. AND is an over-the-counter medication that is common in Eastern cultures to treat inflammation and is a CYP enzyme inhibitor. Because CBZ is metabolized in the liver by these specific CYP enzymes, coadministration of andrographolide and CBZ could result in a herb-drug interaction. Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats (N=12) aged between 3 months and 6 months (250-350 g) will be split into control (N=6) and treatment (N=6) groups. The treatment group will receive an AND injection (dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide to 10 mg/mL) intraperitoneally for seven consecutive days. On the eighth day, another AND injection will be administered intraperitoneally as well as an injection of CBZ (CBZ powder prepared into a 20 mg/mL emulsion) administered via intravenous route. Plasma samples will be collected every 20 minutes for 4 hours and stored at -20℃. Analysis: HPLC analysis will yield a time vs. plasma concentration graph that will allow us to calculate the rate of elimination (K). The mean K value will be determined for both the control and treatment group. The mean K value of 6 rats in the treatment group will be compared to the mean value of K of the 6 rats in the control group. These will be analyzed using SPSS and utilizing an unpaired t test, with a

The Effect of Andrographolide on the Metabolism of Carbamazepine in Rats

Objective: To determine if andrographolide (AND) impacts the pharmacokinetics of carbamazepine (CBZ). Background: CBZ is an anticonvulsant medication that is metabolized in the liver by cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes. AND is an over-the-counter medication that is common in Eastern cultures to treat inflammation and is a CYP enzyme inhibitor. Because CBZ is metabolized in the liver by these specific CYP enzymes, coadministration of andrographolide and CBZ could result in a herb-drug interaction. Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats (N=12) aged between 3 months and 6 months (250-350 g) will be split into control (N=6) and treatment (N=6) groups. The treatment group will receive an AND injection (dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide to 10 mg/mL) intraperitoneally for seven consecutive days. On the eighth day, another AND injection will be administered intraperitoneally as well as an injection of CBZ (CBZ powder prepared into a 20 mg/mL emulsion) administered via intravenous route. Plasma samples will be collected every 20 minutes for 4 hours and stored at -20℃. Analysis: HPLC analysis will yield a time vs. plasma concentration graph that will allow us to calculate the rate of elimination (K). The mean K value will be determined for both the control and treatment group. The mean K value of 6 rats in the treatment group will be compared to the mean value of K of the 6 rats in the control group. These will be analyzed using SPSS and utilizing an unpaired t test, with a p\u3c0.05 deemed statistically significant

Bilateral acute angle closure glaucoma as a presentation of isolated microspherophakia in an adult: case report

BACKGROUND: Bilateral simultaneous angle closure glaucoma is a rare entity. To our knowledge this is the first reported case of bilateral acute angle-closure glaucoma secondary to isolated microspherophakia in an adult. CASE PRESENTATION: A 45-year-old woman presented with bilateral acute angle closure glaucoma, with a patent iridotomy in one eye. Prolonged miotic use prior to presentation had worsened the pupillary block. The diagnosis was not initially suspected, and the patient was subjected to pars-plana lensectomy and anterior vitrectomy for a presumed ciliary block glaucoma. The small spherical lens was detected intraoperatively, and spherophakia was diagnosed in retrospect. She had no systemic features of any of the known conditions associated with spherophakia. Pars-plana lensectomy both eyes controlled the intraocular pressure successfully. CONCLUSION: This case demonstrates the importance of considering the diagnosis of isolated microspherophakia in any case of bilateral acute angle closure glaucoma. Lensectomy appears to be an effective first-line strategy for managing these patients

Organizational aspects and implementation of data systems in large-scale epidemiological studies in less developed countries

BACKGROUND: In the conduct of epidemiological studies in less developed countries, while great emphasis is placed on study design, data collection, and analysis, often little attention is paid to data management. As a consequence, investigators working in these countries frequently face challenges in cleaning, analyzing and interpreting data. In most research settings, the data management team is formed with temporary and unskilled persons. A proper working environment and training or guidance in constructing a reliable database is rarely available. There is little information available that describes data management problems and solutions to those problems. Usually a line or two can be obtained in the methods section of research papers stating that the data are doubly-entered and that outliers and inconsistencies were removed from the data. Such information provides little assurance that the data are reliable. There are several issues in data management that if not properly practiced may create an unreliable database, and outcomes of this database will be spurious. RESULTS: We have outlined the data management practices for epidemiological studies that we have modeled for our research sites in seven Asian countries and one African country. CONCLUSION: Information from this model data management structure may help others construct reliable databases for large-scale epidemiological studies in less developed countries