Defence Life Science Journal
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Rapid Acclimatisation to High Altitude by Intermittent Hypoxia Training at Sea Level Role of Biochemical Markers
Get PDFRapid induction of soldiers to high altitude under emergency situation may lead to higher incidence of acute mountain sickness (AMS) and other high altitude illness. Intermittent Hypoxia Training (IHT) at sea level before going to high altitude is an approach for rapid acclimatisation. This approach may be helpful to reduce the occurrence of AMS and leads to better acclimatisation at high altitude in shorter duration. The present study evaluates the role of biochemical markers of acclimatisation after IHT before induction to actual high altitude. The study participants were Indian Army Personnel (n=30) and they were divided into two groups of control (n=16) and IHT exposed (n=14). The intermittent hypoxia training was administered at 12 per cent Oxygen for 4h/day for 4 days at sea level using normobaric hypoxia chamber and within 24 hrs - 48 hrs the subjects were airlifted to Leh, Ladakh, India at 11,700 ft. Preconditioning with IHT may be beneficial in maintaining antioxidant levels and ameliorate oxidative stress at high altitude. The hypoxia responsive proteins like Hemeoxygenase -1 (HO-1) and Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the cytoprotective stress proteins, which facilitate the acclimatisation, may also get benefited by IHT exposure
Bird Strike to Aircrafts An Assessment of Changing Bird Populations at Select Indian Airfields
Get PDFBird Strikes (BS) are a significant threat to flight safety and a serious economic concern in the aviation industry. Variation of population and activity of different birds over an airfield leads to variation in their vulnerability for Bird Strike as well. In this study, an attempt was made to document the monthly variation of bird activity over three Indian airfields situated in different bio-geographical provinces in the year 2019-20. A significant activity of Black Kites (including the sub-species Black-eared Kite namely Milvus migrans govinda and Milvus migrans lineatus) and Lapwing (Vanellus indicus) were studied to understand their annual cycle as well as long term changes in their activity over airfields (over 30 years). Agra recorded an increase of 10.3 times in the activity of Black Kites in forty years. Black Kite data in correlation with the past information on Vultures indicate that the Black Kites are taking over the ecological niche of Vultures. Sirsa recorded an increase of 15 times in the activity of Red-wattled Lapwings in ten years and started dwindling again. The numbers of both species were stable over the Jodhpur airfield. The probable causes for long-term changes in Black Kite activity were identified as the type of waste management of the cities nearby, presence of other birds and migration. Similarly, changes in the activity of Red-wattled Lapwing could be partly attributed to the type of vegetation cover, long-term ecological changes, and intensive harassment of the bird. These findings will help airfield safety managers to initiate Solid Waste Management projects in the nearby city and monitor the bird population to control the major variations
Evaluation of Acute Toxicity of Some Medicinal Plants and their Combination in Albino Mice
Get PDFMedicinal plants find use across different cultures in the world. People have derived numerous benefits by using various plants for centuries. Herbal drugs are supposed to be safe, but there are chances these might cause toxicity and other complications. Thus toxicity studies are essential for a medicinal plant before being used in humans. The present research revolves around studying the acute toxicity of Ocimum kilimandscharicum, Thymus serpyllum, Spilanthes acmella and their combination in equal ratio (COMB). For preparing the combination of extracts, the ethanolic extracts of the three plants were combined in equal amounts and administered to the animals. The acute toxicity study was carried out according to OECD (The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) guideline 423 for acute toxicity. The animals were divided into four groups each containing three animals each. These groups were respectively administered ethanolic extract of O. kilimandscharicum, T. serpyllum, S. acmella and COMB in a dose of 2000 mg/kg. The animals were observed for signs of toxicity and mortality at durations specified by OECD. The results demonstrated that extracts of the three medicinal plants used in the study and their combination were found to be safe up to 2000 mg/kg
Antibacterial Performance Evaluation of Silver Coated River Sand for Water Decontamination Application
Get PDFThe presence of microbes in drinking water is a serious health hazard demanding immediate attention. Silver is known for centuries for its highly effective antimicrobial properties against a variety of microorganisms. Sand is a natural filter media that is widely used in water purification systems for the removal of dirt and suspended matter from water. Hence the development of additional antimicrobial features in commonly used filter material i.e. sand by coating with silver is an alternative technology for providing a safe drinking-water free from microbes. The present study was performed to develop a cost-effective material with antimicrobial properties by coating locally available river sand with silver. The coated material was subsequently used for its antimicrobial performance by using standard methods. To perform the tests E.coli was isolated from wastewater by using standard microbiological protocols. Thereafter, a biochemical test and antibiotic sensitivity assay were performed. Synthesised silver-coated sand was tested for its antibacterial activity against E.coli through the agar well diffusion method. The results showed a zone of clearance ≥40 mm with 700 mg of synthesised sample. To further determine the efficacy of developed material against E.coli load in artificially contaminated water, experiments were conducted by passing contaminated water through the material stuffed inside a hollow tube filter. A colony count reduction of 86.67 per cent was observed on passing 1000 ml of 3x103 CFU/ml contaminated water through the filter. The present study suggests that additional functionality of microbial reduction can be introduced in the sand through the silver coating. The developed material can be effectively used for the removal of fecal coliforms (E.coli) present in water bodies at an effective cost in addition to the removal of traditional impurities like dirt and suspended materials
Polyphenols as Therapeutic Approach to High Altitude Mediated Skeletal Muscle Impairments
Get PDFSkeletal muscle impairments at high altitudes resulted into various consequences in un-acclimatised individuals thus hampering their physical activities by imposing severe oxidative stress, skeletal muscle atrophy, mitochondrial dysfunction/autophagy, and regeneration disability. Researchers have described many natural and synthetic supplements to alleviate oxidative stress-induced muscle impairments. In this review article we are focusing on the skeletal muscle impairments and their alleviation by using natural polyphenols. Polyphenols are plant-based compounds showing anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties like Curcumin, Catechins, Resveratrol, Quercetin and Salidrosides appear to mainly act by reversing oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction eventually ameliorate skeletal muscle impairments under various imposed pathological conditions. This review also drew attention on the molecular targets of polyphenols and their possible therapeutic effects in preventing HA induced muscle impairments. Unavailability of suitable intervention, there is a need to find a probable solution having highly protective anti-atrophic, anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory properties with the tint of performance enhancer
Virtual and Augmented Reality Changing Horizons in Dentistry
Get PDFAugmented and virtual reality (AR-VR) is a fast developing technology that has been used in the field of medicine for a long time. It has also found its way in dentistry and the preliminary assessments so far have shown promising results. Aim: The presented scoping review was conducted with an aim of identifying the current applications of AR-VR in the field of dental training and education. The paper also highlights the presently available dental simulators, their features and areas of use. Result: It was found that AR-VR is not restricted to teaching of upcoming dentists but also helps practicing physicians to return to basics and refine their skills. Inclusion of haptics provides a realistic experience by simulating the tactile sensations. Instant feedback feature act as a source of motivation to cover the missed bases. Conclusion: AR-VR technology has numerous advantages in dental education and training. However, the currently available systems require imports and are bulky to be transported in difficult terrains. Thereby it is important that indigenous systems be developed that have enhanced feasibility to be used for training of Armed Forces for managing trauma cases encountered in the field
Predictive Thin Plate Spline Model for Estimation of Load Carriage at Varying Gradient and Speed
Get PDFLaboratory-based experimental studies are being carried out for Indian soldiers to estimate optimal load carriage at different gradients and walking speeds. These experiments involve the recording of Cardio-respiratory responses such as Heart Rate (HR), Oxygen Consumption (VO2), Energy Expenditure (EE), Respiratory Frequency (RF), Minute Ventilation (VE), and Maximal Aerobic capacity (%VO2max). Due to limitations in the data sample size that can be obtained in laboratory-based experiments, there is a need for mathematical interpolation to obtain intermediate values in the study. Load carriage can be affected by factors that can be controlled, such as the speed of marching, and also by external factors that cannot be controlled like ambient temperature. Real-time interactions of all the factors also have an impact on the load-carrying capacity. Planning of the mission operations requires the specification of well-defined work-rest schedules and indication of total load limits, to ensure the operational effectiveness of the military personnel. In this paper, we present a Predictive 3-Dimensional Thin Plate Spline Model for efficient estimation of load. We developed a Multiple Linear Regression Model for predicting %VO2max for combinations of load and gradient. The accuracy of the model was 85 per cent and the maximum permissible loads were derived from the prediction model for the physiological limits of 50 per cent, 60 per cent, and 75 per cent of VO2max. A Thin Plate Spline based interpolation technique was used on this Multiple Linear Regression Model to generate optimal load at intermediate values for the experimental study. A similar predictive Interpolation Model was also developed for estimating load for varying walking speeds at level ground
Phenological and Pomological Characteristics of Native Apple (Malus domestica Borkh) Cultivars of Trans Himalayan Ladakh India
Get PDFSeven local apple cultivars of the trans-Himalayan Ladakh region were studied for phenological and pomological characteristics. Early and extended flowering was observed. Flowering began 12 days earlier as compared to Royal Delicious, a popular introduced cultivar. The cultivars attained fruit maturity between mid-August to early September, which is one month earlier than Royal Delicious. Apples of the Ladakh region are soft (6.1±1.1 kg cm-2) and small in size (60.1±29.1 g). The unique characteristics observed in apples of the Ladakh region, such as early flowering and early fruit maturity offer an opportunity for exploring the native cultivars for future breeding programs for the development of early maturing cultivars
Spiritual Well Being A Protective Resource Among Youth of Arunachal Pradesh
Get PDFModernisation of a nation, besides yieldingpositive outcomes, has also ushered in various negative constructs, one of the chief being the growth of spiritual threats. Spiritual well-being provides reasons for one’s existence,increases resilience and provides stability for an overall development of a healthy, secure nation. Therefore, risk to spiritual well-being has immense negative impact on the mental state of an individual, especially, the youth. The ingrained spirituality in the culture of Arunachal Pradesh working as a protective buffer, and the status of the students being an educated class give the tribal students of the state, a powerful role in shaping the future security and progress of the society. Considering this implication, the present paper tries to explore how spiritual well-being and its two dimensions, namely, religious and existential well-being, are related to satisfaction with life, positive affect, negative affect and resilience. The Spiritual Well-being Scale, The Satisfaction With Life Scale, Positive Affect Negative Affect Schedule and The Brief Resilience Scale were administered to 100 university students, age ranging from 22-28 years. Results revealed that spiritual well-being was positively related to higher satisfaction with life, positive affect and resilience and negatively with negative affect. Implications of the studyhave also been discussed
Nanoscale Copper II Oxide An Efficient and Reusable Adsorbent for Removal of Nickel II from Contaminated Water
Get PDFThe present work describes the synthesis of copper(II) oxide nanoparticles (NPs) with high surface area (52.11 m2/g) and its Ni(II) adsorption efficiency from contaminated water at room temperature. Copper (II) oxide NPs are able to remove Ni(II) as 93.6 per cent and 93.7 per cent using 500 ppb & 1000 ppb initial concentration of nickel at near-neutral pH respectively. CuO NPs is very much effective to remove more than 75 per cent nickel over a wide range of pH even in presence of other competing ions like Cd2+, Pb2+, Cr6+, SO42-. Prepared CuO NPs can be used to remove Ni(II) from aqueous solution in real field application