Ayurvedic Management of Severe Dry Eye Syndrome & Complications: A Case Study

Dry eye syndrome (DES) is a common condition that causes pain and can lead to vision problems. Modern living has given rise to a massive increase in the incidence of vision threatening dry eye disease, around 10-30% of population living in industrialized countries suffer from dry eye syndrome (DES). According to Second International Dry Eye Workshop (DEWS II) in 2017 offered dry eye as it is a multifactorial ocular surface disorder defined by a loss of tear film homeostasis and ocular symptoms, in which tear film instability and hyperosmolarity, as well as ocular surface inflammation and injury, play a part in the etiology. If it is not controlled with in time it can lead to corneal blindness. Ayurveda proposes a comprehensive systemic & topical strategy in the treatment of dry eye syndrome, in contrast to the available modern medical treatment. In this publication, a case study of a Shushkakshipaka with many complications who was treated with dynamic Ayurvedic treatments & after continuous efforts patient got very significant results is being discussed here.

Non-Linear Thermoelectric Devices with Surface-Disordered Nanowires

We reviewed some recent ideas to improve the efficiency and power output of thermoelectric nano-devices. We focused on two essentially independent aspects: (i) increasing the charge current by taking advantage of an interplay between the material and the thermodynamic parameters, which is only available in the non-linear regime; and (ii) decreasing the heat current by using nanowires with surface disorder, which helps excite localized phonons at random positions that can strongly scatter the propagating phonons carrying the thermal current.

Tear film measurements in four different ethnic groups: Malay, Chinese, Indian and Nigerian

AIM: To compare the non-invasive tear film break-up time (NIBUT), tear break up time (TBUT), basal tear secretion (BTS) and blink rate in four ethnic groups: Malay, Chinese, Indian and Nigerian. METHODS: Totally 120 healthy (61 males and 59 females) subjects (without dry eye symptoms and ocular surface disorder) with the age 20 to 39 years were recruited; 30 were Malays, 30 were Chinese, 31 were Indians and 29 were Nigerians. Based on McMonnies questionnaire and clinical examination, normal subjects were selected. NIBUT, TBUT, BTS were assessed in only one eye (right) of each subject and blink rate was also assessed. RESULTS: There was significant difference in the NIBUT, TBUT, BTS and blink rate among 4 different ethnic groups (P=0.018, 0.001, 0.011, and 0.004 respectively). No statistically significant difference of NIBUT, TBUT, BTS and blink rate was found between the genders among different ethnic groups. Indian had higher median for NIBUT (10±6s), TBUT (7±5s) and BTS (20±20 mm) than other races. Chinese had lower median for NIBUT (7.5±4s) and TBUT (4±2s) while Malay had for BTS (9.5±16 mm) among the groups. There was no significant correlation of blink rate with NIBUT (r=-0.119, P=0.195), TBUT (r=-0.086, P=0.352), and BTS (r=-0.123, P=0.180) respectively. CONCLUSION: The tear-film measurement values are variability in four ethnic groups.

Association among pterygium, cataracts, and cumulative ocular ultraviolet exposure: A cross-sectional study in Han people in China and Taiwan

Purpose Pterygium is an ocular surface disorder mainly caused by ultraviolet (UV) light exposure. This study explored the relationships between six cataract types with pterygium and UV exposure. Methods We have previously studied cataracts in residents of three regions in China and Taiwan with different UV intensities. From that study, we identified 1,547 subjects with information on the presence or absence of pterygium. Pterygium severity was graded by corneal progress rate. Cataracts were graded by classification systems as three main types (cortical, nuclear, posterior subcapsular) and three subtypes (retrodots, waterclefts, fiber folds) with high prevalence in middle-aged and elderly people. We calculated the cumulative ocular UV exposure (COUV) based on subject data and National Aeronautics and Space Administration data on UV intensities and used logistic regression to calculate odds ratios for the associations of COUV, cataract, and pterygium. Results We found an overall pterygium prevalence of 23.3%, with significant variation among the three regions. Four cataract types (cortical, nuclear, posterior subcapsular, and retrodots) were significantly associated with the presence of pterygium. Conclusions There was a significant association between COUV and pterygium, indicating that COUV is associated with the risk of pterygium development and that pterygium is useful as an index of UV exposure. Furthermore, the type of cataract in eyes with pterygium may indicate the level of UV exposure.

XANES reflects coordination change and underlying surface disorder of zinc adsorbed to silica

Zinc K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy of Zn adsorbed to silica and Zn-bearing minerals, salts and solutions was conducted to explore how XANES spectra reflect coordination environment and disorder in the surface to which a metal ion is sorbed. Specifically, XANES spectra for five distinct Zn adsorption complexes (Znads) on quartz and amorphous silica [SiO2(am)] are presented from the Zn–water–silica surface system: outer-sphere octahedral Znads on quartz, inner-sphere octahedral Znads on quartz, inner-sphere tetrahedral Znads on quartz, inner-sphere octahedral Znads on SiO2(am) and inner-sphere tetrahedral Znads on SiO2(am). XANES spectral analysis of these complexes on quartz versus SiO2(am) reveals that normalized peak absorbance and K-edge energy position generally decrease with increasing surface disorder and decreasing Zn–O coordination. On quartz, the absorption-edge energy of Znads ranges from 9663.0 to 9664.1 eV for samples dominated by tetrahedrally versus octahedrally coordinated species, respectively. On SiO2(am), the absorption-edge energy of Znads ranges from 9662.3 to 9663.4 eV for samples dominated by tetrahedrally versus octahedrally coordinated species, respectively. On both silica substrates, octahedral Znads presents a single K-edge peak feature, whereas tetrahedral Znads presents two absorbance features. The energy space between the two absorbance peak features of the XANES K-edge of tetrahedral Znads is 2.4 eV for Zn on quartz and 3.2 eV for Zn on SiO2(am). Linear combination fitting of samples with a mixture of Znads complex types demonstrates that the XANES spectra of octahedral and tetrahedral Znads on silica are distinct enough for quantitative identification. These results suggest caution when deciphering Zn speciation in natural samples via linear combination approaches using a single Znads standard to represent sorption on a particular mineral surface. Correlation between XANES spectral features and prior extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) derived coordination environments for these Znads on silica samples provides insight into Zn speciation in natural systems with XANES compatible Zn concentrations too low for EXAFS analysis.

Tuning magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of Pr0.6Sr0.4MnO3 through size modifications

Particle size as an effective tool for controlling the magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of Pr0.6Sr0.4MnO3 samples has been studied. In the present work, a direct influence of particle size on the magnitude of magnetization and magnetic transition temperature, TC, can be seen. The TC drops from 309 to 242 K, while the saturation magnetization (MS) decreases from 3.6 to 0.5 μB/f.u. as the particle changes from 120 to 9 nm. Concurrently, coercivity (HC) exhibits a drastic rise emphasizing the enhanced surface disorder in the nanoparticles. Another interesting observation is in the magnetic entropy change, ΔS, which though decreases in magnitude from 5.51 to 3.90 J/Kg-K as particle size decreases from 120 to 30 nm, but the temperature range of ΔS (i.e., relative cooling power, RCP) increases from 184.33 to 228.85 J/Kg. Such interplay between magnitude and wider temperature range of ΔS, which can be fine-tuned by particle size, provides an interesting tool for using surface spin disorder, as a control mechanism in modifying physical properties.