How Is It Possible to Treat Diseases Without Medicine?: A Qualitative Study on the Attitude and Perceived Benefits of Yoga and Naturopathy Among Patients Admitted at an Inpatient Hospital.

Background: Yoga and naturopathy (Y&N) is a system of medicine primarily focusing on restoration of health and well-being. Objective of this study is to understand the knowledge, attitude, and perception about Y&N among the inpatients of a government Y&N institution in south India. Methods: Focus group discussion was conducted in eight adult patients aged between 30 and 60 years who took Y&N treatments for a period of 10 days or more. Purposive sampling method was adopted. Oral informed consent was obtained. Results: Knowledge about the Y&N system of medicine was primarily through referral or "word of mouth." Perceived benefits were both physical and psychological. Uniqueness of the hospital as mentioned by participants includes individual attention, tailor-made treatment protocols, and one-to-one care to the needy patients. Conclusion: An integrated approach is very much essential that might bring about better treatment outcomes in patients.

Foot reflexology for reduction of blood pressure in hypertensive individual: A systematic review.

IMPORTANCE: Hypertension is the modifiable risk factor associated with cardiovascular diseases and all-cause mortality. Foot reflexology has been proposed to reduce the blood pressure for the patients with hypertension but the available evidences are uncertain. OBJECTIVE: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis, know the efficacy of foot reflexology on blood pressure reduction in patients with hypertension. DATA SOURCES AND SELECTION: A systematic search of electronic databases such as PubMed, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.gov, Embase, and Cochrane library since inception till January 2022. Randomized controlled trial with foot reflexology as an intervention for lowering blood pressure (BP) in hypertensive patients was included in the study. DATA EXTRACTION AND OUTCOME MEASURES: Data was independently extracted by four authors. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure was the primary outcome measure. Standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) were calculated to determine the effect size. RESULTS: The pooled effect of SBP (SMD: -2.70, 95 % of CI: -6.79, 1.39, I2 - 97 %, P < 0.001) and DBP (SMD: -2.12, 95 % of CI: -5.95, 1.71, I2 - 97 %, P < 0.001) changes are not favorable for foot reflexology in terms of reducing blood pressure. CONCLUSION: Findings from the studies showed that foot reflexology interventions were not much effective in the reduction of blood pressure among patients with hypertension.

Effect of six months pranayama training on stress-induced salivary cortisol response among adolescents-Randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: A combination of yoga practices has been documented to reduce stress and stress-induced cortisol levels. The objective of the current study is to examine the effects of six months of a single pranayama practice (Bhramari [Bhr. P]) on reducing salivary cortisol response to the cold pressor test (CPT) among adolescents. METHODS: Twenty-six healthy adolescents between the ages of 11 and 19 were randomly assigned to either yoga group (n-13) or control group (n-13). Yoga group participants were trained to do Bhr. P for 45 min, thrice a week for six months. All participants underwent CPT at baseline and at end of six months. Saliva samples were collected at baseline (t0), at 20 min (t1), 40 min (t2), and 60 min after the CPT (t3). RESULTS: Contradictory to our hypothesis, participants in the yoga group exhibited a higher salivary cortisol response to the CPT at t1 (p = 0.04) when compared to the control group. However, the t3 salivary cortisol levels showed a statistically significant reduction (p = 0.03) in yoga group when compared to the control group. A significant interaction with time (F (1, 88) = 316.5, p = .001, ηp2:0.91) and between the group × time (F (3, 88) = 2.83, p = 0.04, ηp2:0.8) was found after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: An increase in the cortisol responsiveness observed in the study is an indication of the adaptive capability achieved through regular yoga training, evidenced by an initial rise in cortisol followed by a rapid fall below baseline after 60 min. Further research is required to conclusively determine the changes in cortisol levels over time in response to stress in long-term yoga practitioners.

Effect of Yoga on Oxidative Stress in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus has a significant impact on public health. Oxidative stress plays a major role in the pathophysiology of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), leading to various complications of T2DM. Yoga is being widely used in the management of T2DM. The primary objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to understand the effects of yoga on oxidative stress parameters among adult patients diagnosed with T2DM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Electronic databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library and Science Direct from start of the study till March 2020 were searched to obtain eligible studies. Study designs of all nature were included (except case studies and reviews). The primary outcome was Malondialdehyde (MDA) and secondary outcomes included fasting plasma glucose, HbA1C and Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) levels. RESULTS: A total of four trials with a total of 440 patients met the inclusion criteria. The results of meta-analysis indicated that yoga significantly reduced MDA (SMD: -1.4; 95% CI -2.66 to -0.13; P = 0.03; I2 = 97%), fasting plasma glucose levels (SMD: -1.87: 95% CI -3.83 to -0.09; P = 0.06; I2= 99%), and HbA1c (SMD: -1.92; 95% CI - 3.03 to -0.81; P = 0.0007; I2 = 92%) in patients with T2DM. No such effect was found for SOD (SMD: -1.01; 95% CI -4.41 to 2.38; P = 0.56; I2= 99%). CONCLUSION: The available evidence suggests that yoga reduces MDA, fasting plasma glucose and HbA1C, and thus would be beneficial in the management of T2DM as a complementary therapy. However, considering the limited number of studies and its heterogeneity, further robust studies are necessary to strengthen our findings and investigate the long-term benefits of yoga.

Gaussian mixture model based clustering of Manual muscle testing grades using surface Electromyogram signals.

Muscle strength testing has long been an important assessment procedure in rehabilitation setups, though the subjectivity and standardization of this procedure has been widely debated. To address this issue, this study involves the use of Electromyogram (EMG) features that are intuitively related to muscle strength to classify Manual muscle testing (MMT) grades of '4 -', '4', '4 + ' and '5' of the Medical Research Council scale. MMT was performed on Tibialis anterior muscle of 50 healthy participants whose MMT grades and EMG were simultaneously acquired. Chi square goodness of fit and Spectrum Decomposition of Graph Laplacian (SPEC) feature selection algorithms are used in selecting five features, namely Integrated EMG, Root Mean Square EMG, Waveform Length, Wilsons' amplitude and Energy. Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) approach is used for unsupervised clustering into one of the grades. Internal cluster evaluation resulted in Silhouette score of 0.76 and Davies Bouldin Index of 0.42 indicating good cluster separability. Agreement between the machine-based grade and manual grade has been quantified using Cohens' Kappa coefficient. A value of '0.44' has revealed a moderate agreement, with greater differences reported in grading '4' and '4 + ' strength levels. The comparative advantage of EMG based grading over the manual method has been proved. The suggested method can be extended for muscle strength testing of all muscles across different age groups to assist physicians in evaluating patient strength and plan appropriate strength conditioning exercises as a part of rehabilitative assessment.

Effect of Sheetali pranayama on cardiac autonomic function among patients with primary hypertension - A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Sheetali pranayama is a cooling pranayama practiced for hypertension (HTN). The effects of Sheetali pranayama, as a solitary intervention on cardiovascular and autonomic changes in hypertension is unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The current study was conducted on 100 patients with HTN, randomly allocated to HTN with pranayama (Intervention group,n = 50) and HTN without pranayama (control group,n = 50) group. The intervention group practiced Sheetali pranayama for a period of 3 months. Blood pressure and HRV was assessed before and after the intervention. RESULTS: Intervention group showed a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in blood pressure variables when compared to the control group. In short term HRV, time and frequency domain parameters showed parasympathetic dominance (P < 0.05) in the intervention group. CONCLUSION: Sheetali pranayama significantly reduces blood pressure in patients with HTN and improved heart rate variability. Sheetali pranayama could thus be practiced in addition to regular medications for the efficacious management of HTN.

Three-dimensional modelling of wheelchair contrived with lower limb exoskeleton for right hemiplegic dysfunction.

Hemiplegia is a type of paralysis that affects one side of the body due to stroke, characterizing severe weakness or rigid movement. Many people of different age groups are affected by this condition which cannot be completely cured but can be minimized through proper physiotherapy. A continuous and repeated exercise has to be given to the hemiplegic subjects to regain their motor function. To serve this purpose, a three-dimensional model of wheelchair contrived with lower limb exoskeleton is designed and motion analysis is done using SolidWorks. This virtual model of the object is created with the assistance of computer-aided design software. Professionals can be able to do the experiment on what-if scenarios with their three-dimensional designs, which helps to validate their devices and identify any snags with design quality. The pattern of behaviour of lower limb exoskeleton is predicted using SimMechanics in MATLAB.

Effects of hot foot and arm bath in bronchial asthma: A single case report.

BACKGROUND: Managing the condition of corticosteroid resistant asthmatic patients is quite difficult and challenging despite the plethora of new and modern medications. Hot Foot and Arm Bath (HFAB) is a widely used treatment modality for the management of bronchial asthma in Naturopathy. However, no scientific documentation or study is available so far assessing its effectiveness. CASE SUMMARY: A 33-year-old male was admitted to our hospital, with major complaints of wheezing and dyspnea for two weeks before admission, with a known case of asthma and occasional use of inhalers. Spirometry tests showed a reversible obstructive pattern (pre-bronchodilator FEV1, 1.64L; post-bronchodilator FEV1, 2.02L; reversibility, 16%). The patient underwent HFAB application for 3 days in the morning, and the pulmonary function test was recorded before and immediately after HFAB. The pulmonary function's parameters such as FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC ratio, PEF 25-75 %, and PEFR showed significant improvement immediately after the HFAB on day 2 and day 3 when compared to day 1. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that HFAB application has an immediate action on improving lung function in patients with bronchial asthma and could be used as effective adjuvant therapy for the management of bronchial asthma. This is the first case report on HFAB application for bronchial asthma and future extensive studies with a large population would validate our findings.

Methylobacillus rhizosphaerae sp. nov., a novel plant-associated methylotrophic bacterium isolated from rhizosphere of red pepper.

A novel plant-associated obligate methylotrophic bacterium, designated strain Ca-68(T), was isolated from the rhizosphere soil of field-grown red pepper from India. The isolates are strictly aerobic, Gram negative, motile rods multiplying by binary fission and formaldehyde is assimilated via the ribulose monophosphate pathway. A comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence-based phylogenetic analysis placed the strain in a clade with the species Methylobacillus flagellatus, Methylobacillus glycogens and Methylobacillus pratensis, with which it showed pairwise similarity of 97.8, 97.4 and 96.2 %, respectively. The major fatty acids are C(16:0), C(10:0) 3OH and C(16:1) ω7c. The G+C content of the genomic DNA is 59.7 mol%. The major ubiquinone is Q-8. Dominant phospholipids are phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis and DNA-DNA relatedness (14-19 %) with type strains of the genus Methylobacillus, the novel isolate was classified as a new species of this genus and named Methylobacillus rhizosphaerae Ca-68(T) (=KCTC 22383(T) = NCIMB 14472(T)).

Duganella sacchari sp. nov. and Duganella radicis sp. nov., two novel species isolated from rhizosphere of field-grown sugar cane.

Two strains, designated Sac-22(T) and Sac-41(T), were isolated from rhizosphere soil and rhizoplane of field-grown sugar cane clone Co86032. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed a clear affiliation of these two bacteria with the class Betaproteobacteria, their closest relatives being Pseudoduganella violaceinigra and Duganella zoogloeoides with 16S rRNA gene sequence pairwise similarities of 96.4-97.2 % to the two novel strains. Strains Sac-22(T) and Sac-41(T) shared a 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity value of 97.6 %. Cells of the two strains were Gram-reaction-negative, aerobic, motile and rod-shaped. Ubiquinone (Q-8) was the respiratory quinone and the predominant polar lipids consisted of phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine. The main cellular fatty acids were C16 : 0, C16 : 1ω7c/iso-C15 : 0 2-OH, C17 : 0 cyclo, C10 : 0 3-OH and C12 : 0. The DNA G+C content of the genomic DNA was 56.4 mol% for strain Sac-22(T) and 54.9 mol% for strain Sac-41(T). Based on the results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis and physiological and biochemical characterization, that differentiated strains Sac-22(T) and Sac-41(T) from all recognized species of the genus Duganella, it was concluded that strains represent two novel species in the genus Duganella for which the names Duganella sacchari sp. nov. (type strain Sac-22(T) = KCTC 22381(T) = NCIMB 14475(T)) and Duganella radicis sp. nov. (type strain Sac-41(T) = KCTC 22382(T) = NCIMB 14476(T)) are proposed.

Nodulation and plant-growth promotion by methylotrophic bacteria isolated from tropical legumes.

The nitrogen fixing methylotrophic bacteria were isolated from the nodules of tropical legumes. Two isolates CMCJ317 and CMSA322 isolated from Crotalaria juncea and Sesbania aculeata possessing high nitrogenase activities under pure culture conditions and able to form nodules under inoculated conditions were further characterized. The biochemical characteristics revealed their close relationship with Methylobacterium nodulans type strain ORS2060. The PCR amplification of nodA and mxaF genes showed the expected 584 and 555 bp products, respectively, similar to M. nodulans ORS2060 and digestion with restriction enzymes revealed that the two isolates differed. The strains showed significantly higher nitrogenase activity and also improved nodulation and shoot nitrogen of the plants when inoculated to Macroptilum atropurpureum. CMCJ317 and CMSA322 formed nodules on C. juncea and M. atropurpureum under green house conditions and also significantly increased the nitrogen concentration in shoots. These findings show that the ability to establish symbiosis with legumes is more widespread in Methylobacterium.

Colonization pattern of plant root and leaf surfaces visualized by use of green-fluorescent-marked strain of Methylobacterium suomiense and its persistence in rhizosphere.

The localization of bacterial cell, pattern of colonization, and survival of Methylobacterium suomiense CBMB120 in the rhizosphere of rice and tomato plants were followed by confocal laser scanning, scanning electron microscopy, and selective plating. M. suomiense CBMB120 was tagged with green fluorescent protein (gfp), and inoculation was carried out through seed source. The results clearly showed that the gfp marker is stably inherited and is expressed in planta allowing for easy visualization of M. suomiense CBMB120. The colonization differed in rice and tomato -- intercellular colonization of surface-sterilized root sections was visible in tomato but not in rice. In both rice and tomato, the cells were visible in the substomatal chambers of leaves. Furthermore, the strain was able to compete with the indigenous microorganisms and persist in the rhizosphere of tomato and rice, assessed through dilution plating on selective media. The detailed ultra-structural study on the rhizosphere colonization by Methylobacterium put forth conclusively that M. suomiense CBMB120 colonize the roots and leaf surfaces of the plants studied and is transmitted to the aerial plant parts from the seed source.

Cultivable bacteria associated with larval gut of prothiofos-resistant, prothiofos-susceptible and field-caught populations of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella and their potential for, antagonism towards entomopathogenic fungi and host insect nutrition.

AIMS: To evaluate whether the gut bacteria of insecticide-resistant, insecticide-susceptible and field-caught populations of the lepidopteran insect pest diamondback moth (DBM)--Plutella xylostella (L.)--are variable and their role in host protection and nutrition. METHODS AND RESULTS: The gut bacterial populations of the three DBM larvae populations were found to be significantly different, irrespective of the developmental stage. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis of the DBM gut bacteria revealed that the bacterial population from the prothiofos-resistant larval gut was more diversified with Pseudomonas sp., Stenotrophomonas sp., Acinetobacter sp., and Serratia marcescens. Meanwhile, the susceptible larvae were associated with Brachybacterium sp., Acinetobacter sp. and S. marcescens and the field-caught population harboured a rather simple gut microflora of phylotypes belonging to Serratia. The siderophore-producing Pseudomonas sp. strain PRGB06 showed antagonistic activity towards entomopathogenic fungi, including Beaveria bassiana, Hirsutella thompsonii, Metarhizium anisopliae, Paecilomyces sp., and Paecilomyces tenuipes, while the chitinase-producing S. marcescens enhanced the larval growth and development. CONCLUSION: There was a significant variation in the gut bacteria from the three different populations of DBM. The production of antifungal siderophore compounds, like pyoverdine, may contribute to host antagonism against entomopathogens. The production of chitinase by gut bacteria appeared to contribute to host nutrition. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The results provide the first comprehensive description of the gut microbial communities in three different populations of an important crucifer pest DBM and suggest that the bacteria associated with the insect pest could be of interest for developing a pest management strategy.

Metal tolerating methylotrophic bacteria reduces nickel and cadmium toxicity and promotes plant growth of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L).

Inoculation of plants with microorganisms may reduce the toxicity of heavy metals to plants in contaminated soils. In this study, we have shown that the plant growth promoting bacteria Methylobacterium oryzae strain CBMB20 and Burkholderia sp. strain CBMB40 from rice reduce the toxicity of Ni and Cd in tomato and promote plant growth under gnotobiotic and pot culture experiments. The bacterial strains bound considerable amounts of Ni(II) and Cd(II) in their growing and resting cells and showed growth in the presence of NiCl2 and CdCl2. In gnotobiotic assay, inoculation with the bacterial strains reduced the ethylene emission and increased the tolerance index of the seedlings against different concentrations of NiCl2/CdCl2. In pot experiments carried out with non-polluted, Ni and Cd supplemented Wonjo-Mix bed soil, the results clearly demonstrated reduction in the accumulations of Ni(II) and Cd(II) in roots and shoots, with significant increase in the plant growth attributes with bacterial inoculations compared to untreated control. Strain CBMB20 performed better than CBMB40 in reducing the heavy metal accumulations in plants. Our results suggest conclusively, that protection against the heavy metals toxicity is rendered by these bacterial strains by reducing their uptake and further translocation to shoots in plants and promote the plant growth by other PGP characteristics.

Potential for plant growth promotion in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) cv. ALR-2 by co-inoculation of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria and Rhizobium.

The use of Rhizobium inoculant for groundnut is a common practice in India. Also, co-inoculation of Rhizobium with other plant growth-promoting bacteria received considerable attention in legume growth promotion. Hence, in the present study we investigated effects of co-inoculating the sulfur (S)-oxidizing bacterial strains with Rhizobium, a strain that had no S-oxidizing potential in groundnut. Chemolithotrophic S-oxidizing bacterial isolates from different sources by enrichment isolation technique included three autotrophic (LCH, SWA5 and SWA4) and one heterotrophic (SGA6) strains. All the four isolates decreased the pH of the growth medium through oxidation of elemental S to sulfuric acid. Characterization revealed that these isolates tentatively placed into the genus Thiobacillus. Clay-based pellet formulation (2.5 x 10(7) cf ug(-1) pellet) of the Thiobacillus strains were developed and their efficiency to promote plant growth was tested in groundnut under pot culture and field conditions with S-deficit soil. Experiments in pot culture yielded promising results on groundnut increasing the plant biomass, nodule number and dry weight, and pod yield. Co-inoculation of Thiobacillus sp. strain LCH (applied at 60 kg ha(-1)) with Rhizobium under field condition recorded significantly higher nodule number, nodule dry weight and plant biomass 136.9 plant(-1), 740.0mg plant(-1) and 15.0 g plant(-1), respectively, on 80 days after sowing and enhanced the pod yield by 18%. Also inoculation of S-oxidizing bacteria increased the soil available S from 7.4 to 8.43 kg ha(-1). These results suggest that inoculation of S-oxidizing bacteria along with rhizobia results in synergistic interactions promoting the yield and oil content of groundnut, in S-deficit soils.

Plant growth-promoting Methylobacterium induces defense responses in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) compared with rot pathogens.

This study, framed in two different phases, studied the plant-growth promotion and the induction of systemic resistance in groundnut by Methylobacterium. Seed imbibition with Methylobacterium sp. increased germination by 19.5% compared with controls. Combined inoculation of Methylobacterium sp. with Rhizobium sp. also significantly increased plant growth, nodulation, and yield attributes in groundnut compared with individual inoculation of Rhizobium sp. Methylobacterium sp. challenge-inoculated with Aspergillus niger/Sclerotium rolfsii in groundnut significantly enhanced germination percentage and seedling vigour and showed increased phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), beta-1,3-glucanase, and peroxidase (PO) activities. Under pot-culture conditions, in Methylobacterium sp. seed-treated groundnut plants challenge-inoculated with A. niger/S. rolfsii through foliar sprays on day 30, the activities of enzymes PO, PAL, and beta-1,3-glucanase increased constantly from 24 to 72 hours, after which decreased activity was noted. Five isozymes of polyphenol oxidase and PO could be detected in Methylobacterium-treated plants challenged with A. niger/S. rolfsii. Induced systemic resistance activity in groundnut against rot pathogens in response to methylotrophic bacteria suggests the possibility that pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophic bacteria might be used as a means of biologic disease control.

Performance evaluation of feature extraction methods for classifying abnormalities in ultrasound liver images using neural network.

Image analysis techniques have played an important role in several medical applications. In general, the applications involve the automatic extraction of features from the image which is further used for a variety of classification tasks, such as distinguishing normal tissue from abnormal tissue. In this paper, the classification of ultrasonic liver images is studied by using texture features extracted from Laws' method, autocorrelation method, Gabor wavelet and edge frequency method. The features from these methods are used to classify three sets of ultrasonic liver images-normal, cyst and benign and how well they suit in classifying the abnormalities is reported. A neural network classifier is employed to evaluate the performance of these features based on their recognition ability.