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Small molecules that increase the presynaptic function of aminergic cells may provide neuroprotection in Parkinson’s disease (PD) as well as treatments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression. Model genetic organisms such as Drosophila melanogaster may enhance the detection of new drugs via modifier or ‘enhancer/suppressor’ screens, but this technique has not been applied to processes relevant to psychiatry. To identify new aminergic drugs in vivo , we used a mutation in the Drosophila vesicular monoamine transporter ( dVMAT ) as a sensitized genetic background and performed a suppressor screen. We fed dVMAT mutant larvae ∼1000 known drugs and quantitated rescue (suppression) of an amine-dependent locomotor deficit in the larva. To determine which drugs might specifically potentiate neurotransmitter release, we performed an additional secondary screen for drugs that require presynaptic amine storage to rescue larval locomotion. Using additional larval locomotion and adult fertility assays, we validated that at least one compound previously used clinically as an antineoplastic agent potentiates the presynaptic function of aminergic circuits. We suggest that structurally similar agents might be used to development treatments for PD, depression and ADHD, and that modifier screens in Drosophila provide a new strategy to screen for neuropsychiatric drugs. More generally, our findings demonstrate the power of physiologically based screens for identifying bioactive agents for select neurotransmitter systems.

This is the first concept utilized to provide freshwater to remote places and emergencies. The present study aims to optimize the process parameters such as temperature, TDS and turbidity and their effect on water flux and salt rejection for the indigenously developed water desalination and purification van using the RSM technique during emergency conditions. The effect of various operating parameters such as feed temperature, turbidity, and TDS was examined on the mobile van’s performance consisting of ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO) units for water desalination. The unit’s water flux increased with the temperature increase, whereas it decreased with increased turbidity and TDS of feed. The maximum water flux occurred when the temperature was at a higher level and turbidity and TDS were at a lower level. The temperature was the most significant parameter with respect to water flux. The unit showed optimum performance with respect to salt rejection when turbidity and temperature were at a lower level. Using the central composite design, the optimized process parameters were temperature: 40 °C, TDS: 3000 ppm, and turbidity: 70 NTU. The predicted responses for these optimized input process parameters were water flux: 478 LPH and salt rejection: 97.77%, whereas the experimental results were water flux: 475 ± 1.3 LPH and salt rejection: 97.51 ± 0.03%. This study is very helpful for designing such a moving desalination van with a higher capacity that provides safe drinking water during the emergencies, such as floods, heavy rainfalls, etc. This study also helps design the moving type desalination plant for remote areas.

A study titled ‘Integration of AYUSH (Ayurveda) with National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS)’ implemented in India in three districts of three states, namely Bhilwara (Rajasthan), Gaya (Bihar), and Surendranagar (Gujarat) since 2015 for the management of various non-communicable diseases (NCDs) through integrated approach. To evaluate the effect of Ayurveda medication, lifestyle modification, and Yoga in integration with standard care for the management of essential hypertension. A retrospective analysis of the demographic and clinical records available from NPCDCS-AYUSH Integration Project was done. The data of participants with Essential Hypertension (EHTN), aged between 30 and 60 years, who had completed six months integrated management as per the treatment protocol of the NPCDCS-AYUSH Integration project between July 2018 and March 2019 were taken and distributed in two groups based on their intervention. Those advised for lifestyle modification and Yoga in addition to standard care with any of the five medicines/combinations i.e. Amlodipine or Atenolol or Amlodipine + Atenolol or Losartan or Telmisartan were assigned Group I and those who were given Ayurveda medication, lifestyle modification and Yoga in addition to standard care were assigned to Group II. The change in blood pressure was analysed and dose reduction/discontinuation of conventional medications was also observed. Data of 1938 participants who had completed treatment under the NPCDCS program was analysed. At the 6th month, systolic and diastolic blood pressure was significantly reduced (P < 0.01) in all categories of Group I and Group II from baseline. Further, the dose of conventional medicine was reduced in 33.1% of participants of Group I and in 30.4% participants of Group II when compared to 0 day while conventional medicines were discontinued in 15.1% of Group I and 36.7% of Group II participants. Ayurveda medication along with lifestyle management and Yoga effectively controls systolic and diastolic blood pressure and further helps in reducing/discontinuation of dose of conventional medicines in EHTN participants.

Peroxidase isozyme was studied in the leaf tissue of four genotypes of Sugarcane viz BO91, BO110, BO120 and BO128 along with invitro cultured micropropagated plants using horizontal starch gel electrophoresis. Variation was observed among different genotypes with regard to number, position and intensity of bands. Micropropagated plant showed a pattern similar to their parental clones with regard to number and position of bands. Minor variation was observed for intensity of some bands among plants obtained throughin vitro culture. The plant regeneration through tissue culture were identical to their parental clone, indicating that during tissue culture process genetic purity of the genotype have been maintained and the protocol used in the present investigation is suitable for undertaking mass multiplication of clones through micropropagation. The isozymes of peroxidase can be used to distinguish the genotypes and monitor the genetic purity of plants obtained throughin vitro culture.

A phase II prospective comparative randomized clinical trial was conducted in patients of vivax malaria to compare the efficacy of Ayush-64 vs chloroquine. Ayush-64, a herbal formulation patented by Council of Ayurveda and Siddha was compared with chloroquine. Patients received an oral dose of either 1 g Ayush-64, three times a day for 5–7 days or a total dose of 1500 mg chloroquine over 3 days. Peripheral smears were examined everyday for 3 days or till they were negative and then weekly up to 28 days. The results of the study showed that at day 28, only 23 of 47 (48.9%) patients in the Ayush group and all the 41 in the chloroquine group were cured (p < 0.05). Even in these 23 patients in the Ayush group parasite clearance time was longer than chloroquine (3.16 vs 1.5 days). Both regimens were generally well tolerated. In conclusion, Ayush-64 in a dose of 1 g three times a day for 5–7 days is not as effective for treatment of vivax malaria, as standard chloroquine therapy.

Background School-based interventions have been implemented in resource-limited settings to promote healthy dietary habits, but their sustainability remains a challenge. This study identified positive deviants (PDs) and negative deviants (NDs) from the control and treatment groups in a nutrition-sensitive agricultural intervention in Nepal to identify factors associated with healthy dietary practices. Methods This is an explanatory mixed methods study. Quantitative data come from the endline survey of a cluster randomized controlled trial of a school and home garden intervention in Nepal. Data were analyzed from 332 and 317 schoolchildren (grades 4 and 5) in the control and treatment group, respectively. From the control group, PDs were identified as schoolchildren with a minimum dietary diversity score (DDS) ≥ 4 and coming from low wealth index households. From the treatment group, NDs were identified as schoolchildren with a DDS < 4 and coming from high wealth index households. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with PDs and NDs. Qualitative data were collected through in-depth phone interviews with nine pairs of parents and schoolchildren in each PD and ND group. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically and integrated with quantitative data in the analysis. Results Twenty-three schoolchildren were identified as PDs, and 73 schoolchildren as NDs. Schoolchildren eating more frequently a day (AOR = 2.25; 95% CI:1.07–5.68) and whose parents had a higher agricultural knowledge level (AOR = 1.62; 95% CI:1.11–2.34) were more likely to be PDs. On the other hand, schoolchildren who consumed diverse types of vegetables (AOR = 0.56; 95% CI: 0.38–0.81), whose parents had higher vegetable preference (AOR = 0.72; 95% CI: 0.53–0.97) and bought food more often (AOR = 0.71; 95% CI: 0.56–0.88) were less likely to be NDs. Yet, schoolchildren from households with a grandmother (AOR = 1.98; 95% CI: 1.03–3.81) were more likely to be NDs. Integrated results identified four themes that influenced schoolchildren’s DDS: the availability of diverse food, the involvement of children in meal preparation, parental procedural knowledge, and the grandmother’s presence. Conclusion Healthy dietary habit can be promoted among schoolchildren in Nepal by encouraging parents to involve their children in meal preparation and increasing the awareness of family members.

In A Randomized trial of Unruptured Brain Arteriovenous malformations (ARUBA), randomisation was halted at a mean follow-up of 33·3 months after a prespecified interim analysis showed that medical management alone was superior to the combination of medical management and interventional therapy in preventing symptomatic stroke or death. We aimed to study whether these differences persisted through 5-years' follow-up. ARUBA was a non-blinded, randomised trial done at 39 clinical centres in nine countries. Adults (age ≥18 years) diagnosed with an unruptured brain arteriovenous malformation, who had never undergone interventional therapy, and were considered by participating clinical centres to be suitable for intervention to eradicate the lesion, were eligible for inclusion. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) by a web-based data collection system, stratified by clinical centre in a random permuted block design with block sizes of two, four, and six, to medical management alone or with interventional therapy (neurosurgery, embolisation, or stereotactic radiotherapy, alone or in any combination, sequence, or number). Although patients and investigators at a given centre were not masked to treatment assignment, investigators at other centres and those in the clinical coordinating centre were not informed of assignment or outcomes at any of the centres. The primary outcome was time to death or symptomatic stroke confirmed by imaging, assessed by a neurologist at each centre not involved in the management of participants' care, and monitored by an independent committee using an adaptive approach with interim analyses. Enrolment began on April 4, 2007, and was halted on April 15, 2013, after which follow-up continued until July 15, 2015. All analyses were by intention to treat. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00389181. Of 1740 patients screened, 226 were randomly assigned to medical management alone (n=110) or medical management plus interventional therapy (n=116). During a mean follow-up of 50·4 months (SD 22·9), the incidence of death or symptomatic stroke was lower with medical management alone (15 of 110, 3·39 per 100 patient-years) than with medical management with interventional therapy (41 of 116, 12·32 per 100 patient-years; hazard ratio 0·31, 95% CI 0·17 to 0·56). Two patients in the medical management group and four in the interventional therapy group (two attributed to intervention) died during follow-up. Adverse events were observed less often in patients allocated to medical management compared with interventional therapy (283 vs 369; 58·97 vs 78·73 per 100 patient-years; risk difference −19·76, 95% CI −30·33 to −9·19). After extended follow-up, ARUBA showed that medical management alone remained superior to interventional therapy for the prevention of death or symptomatic stroke in patients with an unruptured brain arteriovenous malformation. The data concerning the disparity in outcomes should affect standard specialist practice and the information presented to patients. The even longer-term risks and differences between the two therapeutic approaches remains uncertain. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke for the randomisation phase and Vital Projects Fund for the follow-up phase.