Laboratory constraints on chameleon dark energy and power-law fields.

We report results from a search for chameleon particles created via photon-chameleon oscillations within a magnetic field. This experiment is sensitive to a wide class of unexplored chameleon power-law and dark energy models. These results exclude 5 orders of magnitude in the coupling of chameleons to photons covering a range of 4 orders of magnitude in chameleon effective mass and, for individual models, exclude between 4 and 12 orders of magnitude in chameleon couplings to matter.

Antidiarrhoeal activity of ethanol extract of the bark of Dalbergia lanceolaria.

The bark of Dalbergia lanceolaria was undertaken for evaluation of antidiarrhoeal activity in albino mice based on ethnobotanical lead. This bark was collected from Khanapur area of Western Ghats near Pune, Maharashtra, India. The successive solvent extraction of bark was carried out after drying, using petroleum ether (60-80 degrees C) and ethanol in soxhlet apparatus. The ethanol extract showed activity against castor oil, magnesium sulphate induced diarrhoea in albino mice. The extract was also studied for castor oil induced intraluminal fluid accumulation as well as charcoal transit in normal and barium chloride treated animals. The extract reduced significantly intraluminal fluid accumulation and intestinal motility.

Studies on antidiarrhoeal activity of Jatropha curcus root extract in albino mice.

Use of Jatropha curcus L. roots in the treatment of diarrhoea is a common ethnobotanical practice in Konkan, a part of the Western coastal area of India. Roots of this species were undertaken for pharmacognostic studies and evaluation of antidiarrhoeal activity in albino mice. Successive solvent extraction was carried out using petroleum ether (60-80 degrees C) and methanol. The methanol extract showed activity against castor oil induced diarrhoea and intraluminal accumulation of fluid. It also reduced gastrointestinal motility after charcoal meal administration in albino mice. The results indicate that action of J. curcus root methanol extract could be through a combination of inhibition of elevated prostaglandin biosynthesis and reduced propulsive movement of the small intestine.

Search for chameleon particles using a photon-regeneration technique.

We report the first results from the GammeV search for chameleon particles, which may be created via photon-photon interactions within a strong magnetic field. Chameleons are hypothesized scalar fields that could explain the dark energy problem. We implement a novel technique to create and trap the reflective particles within a jar and to detect them later via their afterglow as they slowly convert back into photons. These measurements provide the first experimental constraints on the couplings of chameleons to photons.

Particle-physics implications of a recent test of the gravitational inverse-square law.

We use data from our recent search for violations of the gravitational inverse-square law to constrain dilaton, radion, and chameleon exchange forces as well as arbitrary vector or scalar Yukawa interactions. We test the interpretation of the PVLAS Collaboration effect and a conjectured "fat-graviton" scenario and constrain the gamma_{5} couplings of pseuodscalar bosons and arbitrary power-law interactions.

Observations on wild plants used in folk medicine in the rural areas of the kolhapur district.

This paper deals with the wild medicinal plants used by rural population of south-western part of Kolhapur district, Maharashtra State. The authors gathered data on 34 species of locally available wild plants used in curing common human ailments. The plants are arranged according to the type of ailment. Vernacular name of each species followed by its botanical name, relevant plant family and known use of the plant in local medicine are given.

Taxonomic study of an ayurvedic herb kade-chirayet from pune and neighbouring districts.

Five difference species of plants are known as Kade-Chirayet in different parts of Pune and neighbouring districts. Botanical identification of all the five species is presented in this paper.