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We investigate the flow dynamics within an elastic tube transporting a power-law fluid, where the tube is subject to a specified external forcing in the form of a progressive traveling wave. The oesophagus is cylindrical in shape and exhibits linear elastic properties. The flow is creeping, and the long wavelength and low Reynolds number approximations are employed for a solution. The relationship between the pressure distribution within the oesophagus and the radial variation of the tube characterizes the behavior of the tube. Findings reveal that the elasticity and the variations in the applied dilating forcing amplitude substantially impact pressure resulting from sinusoidal wave forcing. Notably, even a nominal increase in the inward radial force amplitude for dilatant fluid results in significant pressure changes compared with Newtonian fluid. We also observe a notable distinction between time-averaged volume flow rate and velocity in pseudo-plastic and dilatant forms. Our study also identifies that the radial velocity experiences either attenuation or enhancement due to the fluid’s shear thickening and thinning characteristics. Moreover, our research uncovers a novel dimension by highlighting that in shifting from pseudo-plasticity to dilatancy, the fluid requires higher pressure to propel the bolus toward the hiatus. This observation has important implications, suggesting that feeding a more dilatant fluid to patients with pre-diagnosed swallowing disorders, such as sliding hiatus hernia, is not advisable, fearing increased pressure.

Legumes are known for their ability to provide good herbage cover even in the presence of disturbance. They evolved diverse strategies to ensure their survival and spread in various communities by employing both seed and non-seed regeneration. Out of 25 legumes, 13 showed only seed germination and 12 species can regenerate by non-seed method too. Among the common legumes the population density was maximum for Desmodium triflorumand minimum for Zornia gibbosa. Population status for common legumes was quite stable in grassland communities facing moderate disturbance having large number of young individuals. Moderate disturbance also favoured ramet proliferation in case of D. triflorumand Alysicarpus monilifer. The inter-ramet distance in case of D. triflorumshowed significant difference (P< 0.05) along its age series among three disturbance levels as evident from F-test. Difference between the percentage of germination in open and light were significant at 5% P-level (paired t-test) for Alysicarpus vaginalis, Cassia occidentalis, Crotalaria sericeaand Tephrosia purpurea. Relative light germination was maximum for C. occidentalisfollowed by A. vaginalis. The results are of considerable significance with respect to regeneration of legumes and maintenance of their population in grasslands of Gorakhpur. Besides information on the present status of common legumes, the result provides clues for management option in these grasslands and for the maintenance of legume diversity in such stochastic environment.

Background: The semi-synthetic acetoxycoumarins are known to acetylate proteins using novel enzymatic Calreticulin Transacetylase (CRTAase) system in cells. However, the nonenzymatic protein acetylation by polyphenolic acetates is not known. Objective: To investigate the ability of 7-acetoxy-4-methyl coumarin (7-AMC) to acetylate proteins non-enzymatically in the test tube. Methods: We incubated 7-AMC with BSA and analyzed the protein acetylation using Western blot technique. Further, BSA induced biophysical changes in the spectroscopic properties of 7-AMC was analyzed using Fluorescence spectroscopy. Results: Using pan anti-acetyl lysine antibody, herein we demonstrate that 7-AMC acetylates Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) in time and concentration dependent manner in the absence of any enzyme. 7-AMC is a relatively less fluorescent molecule compared to the parental compound, 7- hydroxy-4-methylcoumarin (7-HMC), however the fluorescence of 7-AMC increased by two fold on incubation with BSA, depending on the time of incubation and concentration of BSA. Analysis of the reaction mixture of 7-AMC and BSA after filtration revealed that the increased fluorescence is associated with the compound of lower molecular weight in the filtrate and not residual BSA, suggesting that the less fluorescent 7-AMC undergoes self-hydrolysis in the presence of protein to give highly fluorescent parental molecule 7-HMC and acetate ion in polar solvent (phosphate buffered saline, PBS). The protein augmented conversion of 7-AMC to 7-HMC was found to be linearly related to the protein concentration. Conclusion: Thus protein acetylation induced by 7-AMC could also be non-enzymatic in nature and this molecule can be exploited for quantification of proteins.

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A previous investigation found that the existence of double exponential terms is a reason for rapid intensification of cyclonic winds with the assumption of a linearised form of viscosity. Here, we consider viscosity of general type and still get similar terms. A perturbation technique is applied to the solution. The domain of analysis is split into two regions: an inner one that experiences updraft, and an outer one that possesses no vertical component of velocity but does have azimuthal and radial components. It is observed that the radial pressure difference between an arbitrary radial distance and the point of the maximum wind diminishes with height, time, and Reynolds number. The azimuthal velocity, close to the ground, in region 1 increases fast with time, but its dependence diminishes at a height a little above the ground. At a considerable height, time ceases to be a factor, and further, above that, trends reverse. Perturbation terms behave almost identically with the terms without perturbation. The significance of their contribution depends on the magnitude of the Reynolds number and, hence, the viscosity. Trends for region 2 are qualitatively similar to those in region 1 but differ quantitatively. It is also observed that the central pressure drop decreases with time.

Essential tremor is the most common cause of tremor involving upper limbs, head and voice. The first line of treatment for limb tremor is pharmacotherapy with propranolol or primidone. However, these two drugs reduce the tremor severity by only half. In medication refractory and functionally disabling tremor, alternative forms of therapy need to be considered. Botulinum toxin injections are likely efficacious for limb, voice and head tremor but are associated with side effects. Surgical interventions include deep brain stimulation; magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound and thalamotomy for unilateral and deep brain stimulation for bilateral procedures. Recent consensus classification for essential tremor has included a new subgroup, ‘Essential tremor plus’, who have associated subtle neurological ‘soft signs’, such as dystonic posturing of limbs and may require a different treatment approach. In this review, we have addressed the current management of essential tremor with regard to different anatomical locations of tremor as well as different modalities of treatment.

Non-seed regeneration is essentially a vagrant strategy of woody plants causing assemblage of homozygous populations in disturbed forests. We tried to understand how such hardy species like Moghania chapparproduce close groups of individuals at different level of disturbance. The hypothesis of trade-off between ramet proliferation and disturbance level, and between growth pattern and resource conservation was tested. The three 1-ha sample plots of sal forest, facing low, moderate or high level of disturbance were observed within Sohagibarwa Wildlife Sanctuary. A total of 40 quadrats per 1-ha plot were sampled to record the age structure of genet and ramet populations of M. chappar. The architecture and foraging of the root-stock was mapped, the biomass of root and shoot was measured and the soil conserved by the root-complex was estimated at each disturbance level. The growth characteristics suggest that M. chapparconforms to Stone’s model of tree architecture. At moderate disturbance, the root-shoot junction sent many more sprouts, garnered much biomass and became flat and curved. The insurrection of ramets caused fragmentation of the root-complex. This clonal growth strategy, however, was neither clearly ‘phalanx’ nor ‘guerrilla’ type. It resulted in intermittent shallow cavities within fragmented root-stock that got filled with soil rich in organic matter. The growth strategy of the species showed potential to restore the soil system and to conserve the diversity of minor biota. In moderately disturbed sal forest, the understorey paved way to prolific non-seed regeneration of this fugitive mid-successional species. At moderate heat stress, the number of individuals as well as the proportion of seedlings per population was highest. The species rapidly increased the understorey foliage by producing a metapopulation of usable sprouts/ramets that facilitated retention of soil and nutrients within their root traps. The total extractible shoot biomass per plant was quite large as a ~ 6 year old individual weighed 473.5 ± 27.4 g. This study of clonal plant ecology may provide new impetus to the conservation of degraded forest ecosystems.

The presented formulation deals with the flow of Herschel–Bulkley fluid induced by progressive transverse dilating peristaltic waves in a circular cylindrical tube of non-uniform cross sectional area. This is an intended act to model swallowing of various types of chewed foods in oesophagus which suffers from hiatus hernia. Due to sliding hiatus hernia, the cross section of the lower oesophagus does not remain uniform. The impact of bulging, which is formed by various combinations of divergence and convergence, is examined. Effects of dilating amplitude, the flow behavior index etc. are also investigated. The non-linear governing equations which represent the model are linearized by low Reynolds number and long wavelength approximations and after that computer simulation is used to evaluate the numerical results. Pressure in the oesophagus along its axis and the time averaged volume flow rate over a period for a single wave propagation are also evaluated. It is inferred that pressure drops right from the beginning and lowers further in the lower part even if only the lower portion of the cylindrical tube diverges. Experimental observations confirm this when the oesophagus suffers from sliding hiatus hernia causing the lower oesophagus to bulge towards the end. If the lower part of the tube subsequently converges towards the end after divergence, pressure is found to increase. Pressure is found to increase with the flow behavior index even when the tube changes its cross sectional area. When the bolus is nearing the cardiac sphincter, pressure-rise and pressure-drop are both less in a diverging tube than that in a uniform tube. Therefore, the pressure requirement to deliver bolus in stomach is less if oesophagus diverges. The presented investigation is significant for the patients suffering from sliding hiatus hernia.

This article situates India–Russia relations in the historical, regional and global context, and the ideological and political discourse in the two countries. It argues that though geopolitics and state interest might have been the immediate, even the compelling, reason behind the Indo-Soviet ties, their coming together was also in accordance with domestic political discourse in the two countries. The article tries to answer questions such as: Why is Russia important in global politics and for India? What are the issues on which the world views and the national interest of the two countries converge? What are the major challenges and opportunities for India–Russia relations? It argues that the two countries need to find and agree upon certain ideational or ideological commonalities to give stability to their relationship.

This model characterises the flow behaviour of suspended particles when swallowing through oesophagus. Transport of particle-fluid mixture induced by dilating peristaltic waves on a circular cylindrical tube was considered for investigation. Unsteady closed-form solutions for pressure gradient, velocity and stream function are obtained by applying regular perturbation technique up to the first order of wavenumber (the ratio of the tube radius to the wavelength). It is observed that the axial velocity of the fluid is greater than that of the solid particles almost everywhere. However, at the wall the axial velocity of the fluid is zero due to the no-slip condition imposed on it; but the suspended particulate material has non-zero positive axial velocity. Thus, the axial velocity of the suspended particles near the tube wall is more than that of the fluid velocity. It is further observed that the axial velocity is negative in the regions close to maximum occlusions giving way to instantaneous backward flow. It is also inferred that the maximum axial velocity of the particle-fluid suspension with non-zero wavenumber is more than that of the particle-free fluid with zero wavenumber. We examined the effect of volume fraction of suspended particulate matter on pressure gradient and velocity. An increase in the volume fraction diminished the pumping performance and also the axial and radial velocities. The results are also compared with those which were obtained for zero wavenumber. The outcome of the investigation endorses the doctors’ advice to patients suffering from achalasia, oesophageal stricture and oesophageal tumors to take liquid or food items with lesser solid contents. Streamline patterns are changed by increasing the flow rate while trapping occurs at high flow rates.

We investigate in this paper the dynamics of tornadoes by considering that the real inflow radial velocity depends on both the radial and vertical coordinates. The formulation is based on the model for the radial velocity that has been deduced from an experimentally verified model of azimuthal velocity. We present an analytical model for steady, incompressible, and viscous fluids and try for exact solutions. Although all the three components depend on radial and axial coordinates, viscosity affects merely the azimuthal velocity and the pressure. It is observed that the magnitude of the radial velocity increases to the maximum at the core but reverses the trend beyond and vanishes as it reaches the centerline. The magnitude reduces linearly with axial distance as per the supposition. At the core, the larger the Reynolds number, the lower is the velocity for moderate Reynolds numbers. Insignificant impact is observed for very large Reynolds number. However, inside and outside the core, the trends are reversed. Radial pressure distributions for different axial positions are similar to theoretical, numerical, and experimental observations. As we move outward from the axis, pressure increases. The difference between the pressures at the axis and that in outward regions increases with height. Pressure falls with rising Reynolds number uniformly for all radial distances. This is an indication that quantitative difference in pressure is large between viscous and inviscid flows.

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) has a role in transpiration in patho-physiological signaling in skeletal muscles. The present study evaluated the pre-conditioning efficacy of S1P in facilitating differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts under a normoxic/hypoxic cell culture environment. Under normoxia, exogenous S1P significantly promoted C2C12 differentiation as evident from morphometric descriptors and differentiation markers of the mature myotubes, but it could facilitate only partial recovery from hypoxia-induced compromised differentiation. Pretreatment of S1P optimized the myokine secretion, intracellular calcium release and energy generation by boosting the aerobic/anaerobic metabolism and mitochondrial mass. In the hypoxia-exposed cells, there was derangement of the S1PR1–3expression patterns, while the same could be largely restored with S1P pretreatment. This is being proposed as a plausible underlying mechanism for the observed pro-myogenic efficacy of exogenous S1P preconditioning. The present findings are an invaluable addition to the existing knowledge on the pro-myogenic potential of S1P and may prove beneficial in the field of hypoxia-related myo-pathologies.

It is intended to model mathematically an ideal whirlwind which characterises this geo-physical phenomenon and eventually helps us decode the inherent dynamics. A dense cylindrical aerial mass is taken into consideration surrounding a rarer aerial region in order to keep a radial favourable gradient of pressure to sustain a rotational motion. It has been concluded that the whirlwind will survive as long as the low pressure region exists. The vertical pressure gradient also plays an equally important role. Since it is not connected to any cloud and the axial velocity is in the vertically upward direction, the momentary vertical gradient of pressure is required for its growth and survival. Horizontal ambient winds that rush towards low pressure zone, crush the air in the buffer zone, and turn vertically upward may also take the dust carried with them visibly to some height. It is considered that the angular azimuthal velocity varies within the annulus. An inference is that no whirlwind without a low pressure region within it can survive. This may be termed as the fundamental characteristic of whirlwind. It is further concluded that if the radial pressure difference between the outermost and innermost layers is larger, the whirlwind is thicker and consequently, it will last longer. Moreover, another conclusion arrived at is that the angular velocity will vanish if the inner radius is zero.

•Swallowing of particle-fluid suspension through oesophagus has been investigated theoretically by regular perturbation technique up to the second order of the wave number. The model is meant for investigating remedial measures for achalasia patients.•The peristaltic waves travelling along the oesophageal wall have amplitude dilating progressively in order to create higher pressure in the distal part.•The interaction of particulate suspension with the fluid dragging has been discussed in detail. It is observed that the axial velocity of the fluid exceeds that of the solid particles almost everywhere. However, particulate matter slides at the wall but the fluid sticks to it.•It is also observed that the axial velocity is retrograde in the regions close to maximum occlusions paving way to instantaneous backward flow. Backward flow is created in a small region with maximum occlusion. Hence, the net flow is positive.•A higher concentrations of suspended particulate matter diminishes the pressure gradient and hence also the axial and radial velocities.•The investigation endorses the advice of the doctors to the patients suffering from achalasia, oesophageal stricture and oesophageal tumors to consume liquid or food items with lesser solid contents.

Exploratory case-control study.

The newly independent countries of Central Asia were eager to integrate their economies with the global economy. This required not only the dismantling of the state-controlled economy but also ushering in some form of democracy, free press and independent civil society. Beginning with 1991, the leadership in Central Asia tried to shed the tag of being Communist Party leaders and sought political legitimacy on the basis of nationalism and democracy. As a result, the initial years following independence saw some progress away from the Soviet political system.But later this trend weakened and most states moved to a more authoritarian system. Some scholars argue that this is due to the enduring Soviet political culture. This could be so; but after nearly 26 years, everything cannot be attributed to Soviet legacy. This article argues that Central Asian states are strongly influenced by the current developments within and outside. The continuation of authoritarianism has been possible because of popular support for the leader as a symbol of stability. However, there are factors that could change popular perception and shake the edifice of the current system.

Uzbekistan became an independent and sovereign state in 1991. Earlier, it was part of the Tsarist and Communist ideological states which sought to assimilate its centuries-old religious, cultural and linguistic identities. After disintegration of the Soviet Union, the new regime rejected the communist ideals and committed itself to fostering all-round development of historical, national and cultural traditions of the people of Uzbekistan. The new regime exchanged the Soviet hammer and sickle for traditional symbols of nation-hood—a flag, an anthem and new holidays ranging from the national/political (Flag Day and Independence Day) to the cultural (Novroz).After 25 years of independence, Uzbekistan seems successful in all fields. It has developed its own strategy for renewal of the society, known as Uzbek Model. All Central Asian republics embarked upon the path of self-discovery and national reconstruction to rest their worldview into their own specific cultural and linguistic moorings. They are reviving and reshaping their economy, history, language and national identity in the process of regaining their pre-soviet legacy. For this, each republic is reinvigorating its linguistic distinctiveness as a vehicle for expressing national identity. This article deals with the revival of Uzbek language and national identity in the post-independence period.

The collapse of the USSR marked the end of the multiethnic ‘Soviet Nation’. Consequent to the moving out of the republics from the federation, Russia and Russians faced the challenge of defining their own identity and that of a new, multinational, multi-confessional state—the Russian Federation. Towards this end of regenerating identity, religion proved to be a very potent instrument. Religion and religiosity in Russia is closely interconnected with ethnic self-awareness and consolidation of political identities that go beyond religion. It has been employed to foster both inclusive and exclusive identities and have also impacted crucial decisions of the state. Its social and political role is profound and so is its engagement with the institutions of the state. It is significant that both the institutional and ideological aspects of religion have emerged as distinct factors in contemporary Russian politics. The re-emergence and the consolidation of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in the social and political life of contemporary Russia has submerged smaller religious identities in all spheres of social and political life. Given Russia’s religious diversity, this has impacted intergroup relations and generated tensions in the society, resulting from both the ‘politicization of religion’ and the ‘desecularization’ project from above.

This article provides a broad overview of Russian foreign policy in the last three decades. It has divided this period into three broad categories—neoliberalism and the West-centric policy (1991–1995); Eurasianism and the search for multipolarity (1996–2006); and crossing the Rubicon (2007–2015)—marked by external interventions. Taking domestic factors into account, it analyses how Russian foreign policy took a radical turn from being a West-centric to a complete break with the West. Russian interventions in Georgia, Ukraine and Syria have revived the spectre of the beginning of a new Cold War. Towards the end, it discusses how Russia has developed a close economic and strategic partnership with China, especially after the sanctions from the West.

This article provides a critical analysis of approaches of international relations (IR) in India in general and studies of post-Soviet countries in particular. It is argued here that methodologically the Indian IR has been dominated by the discourse analysis. The critical questions of everyday forms of social life and its impact upon transformation of state and institutions are at the margins of the disciplinary analysis. This phenomenon can be related to an absence of the ‘ethnographic turn’ in the Indian IR scholarship. Even Soviet/Russian studies, despite history of very strong India–Soviet/Russia bilateral relations, are quite narrow in their scope and lack field-based ethnographic studies. This article further argues that promoting usage of ethnographic method can be a useful methodological addition in making IR study and research in India more broad, critical, relevant and grounded.

Disintegration of the Soviet state was unanticipated in Central Asia and the new independent states were unprepared. The end of central planning in the late 1980s led to transitional recession and this got worse with the dissolution of the USSR. In this difficult situation, the five countries moved at different paces to stabilize their economies and establish market-based system. During transition era, Central Asian states introduced stabilization and structural reforms in the form of monetary policy, introduction of national currencies, price liberalization, privatization and fiscal reforms. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan lead by introducing various reforms while Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan lagged behind and were slow reformers. Tajikistan was one state that suffered due to internal civil war. These stabilization and structural reforms produced mixed results for Central Asian states. Present study will provide an overview of the journey of 25 years of the five Central Asian states since independence, their experience with the reforms and their performance in the region.

The twenty-first century is marked by relative stability of the sociopolitical situation in Russia, which created space for the development of culture and provided a tool to look back into its history. The amalgamation of different religions, cultures or schools of thought occupies an influential place in the development of multicultural Russian society. It is noticeable that the cultural process was not hampered by the disintegration of the former USSR and continues to reflect the social reality of today’s world. Reduced state intervention in the cultural activities lessened the number of participants. The transition from state funding to self-maintenance led to the commercialization of culture, though this commercialization was limited to transition phase only. This article makes an attempt to evaluate the process of modernization and highlights its impact on the development of Russian culture. It provides an outline of the main stages in the development of Russian culture and analyses the directions it has taken.

Epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder which requires chronic treatment. This has prominent impact on the quality of life of the patient and their caregivers. This study was planned to assess and correlate the quality of life in epilepsy (QOLIE) in these two groups, in India.