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Namita Gokhale has contributed for the upliftment of human life. Through her pen, she has diagnosed the problems of contemporary society which are the result of degradation of human values. Today man and woman both are economically and socially sound but moral degradation has shattered the real motive of life. The objective of this paper is to explore the fact that moral values are not the fetters of life but they give rise to those dimensions which take life to a new height. Parvati's life exhibits the negative aspects of hollowness. How the emptiness made Parvati 's normal life to embark upon the wrong track. At an early age a child imbibes only humane aspects but as he grows, his surroundings inculcate in him the selfish motives. Parvati was also an innocent child who used to build the palace from pine cones. For imbibing desirable and undesirable habits, the family and society both are equally responsible. Here, the aim of Namita Gokhale is not to tell a fiction just for entertainment. The novel motivates us to think the value of true relationships which is hidden inside the story. The novel expounds the significance of emotions, sentiments and values in life. Namita Gokhale has tried to assure her readers that materialistic world is not the goal of life. Man is born with a definite purpose and to get it, he has to think beyond the worldly attachment and illusions.

Polycrystalline nano-magnetic pure and Ho3+-substituted Mg–Mn ferrite [Mg0.90Mn0.10Fe(2−x)HoxO4 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3)] nanoparticles were synthesized by sol–gel combustion method. The physicochemical properties of samples were analyzed using various characterization techniques such X-ray diffractometer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Mossbaur spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer, field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) to identify the crystalline phase, functional groups, surface morphology, and magnetic behavior. The structural studies revealed that all the compositions showed pure phase formation of ferrite nanoparticles without any secondary phases and exhibited a cubic crystalline structure with $$Fd\stackrel{-}{3}m$$ space group. FTIR spectra displayed the high-frequency peak observed at 554 cm−1 belonging to Fe–O bending, which confirmed the formation of pristine and Ho3+ modified spinel Mg–Mn ferrite nanoparticles. FESEM micrographs depicted the pseudo-spherical and granular morphology with agglomerated regions and energy dispersive X-ray spectra showed the elemental compositions present in the prepared nanoparticles confirming the high purity of the synthesized samples. EPR spectra illustrated the magnetic nature of pure and Ho3+-substituted Mg–Mn ferrite nanoparticles and displayed strong inter-dipolar interactions. Mossbauer spectra showed that the quadrupole shift increased with increasing Ho3+ content in the composition. All the compositions exhibited superparamagnetic behavior and it was observed that the value of saturation magnetization decreased with Ho3+ intrusion in the crystal framework of Mg–Mn ferrites as depicted by magnetic hysteresis loops. The observed results of the present study are significant and useful for their effective utilization in biosensing applications.

CdS nanoparticles are synthesized by a simple chemical coprecipitation technique using glucose as a capping/complexing agent and their structural, morphological, electrical and magnetic properties are studied. X-ray diffraction results reveal the pure phase formation of CdS nanoparticles along with a wurtzite structure. The interaction of the glucose with CdS nanoparticles is evident from the distinct absorption bands and peaks in the Fourier transform infrared spectra. Field effect scanning electron microscope and high resolution transmission electron microscope images depict weakly aggregated spherical nanoparticles of size ~2- 20 nm. The selective area electron diffraction pattern exhibits well-resolved diffraction rings representing the polycrystalline nature of the nanoparticles. The optical band gap has been calculated using Tauc’s plot and found to be 2.58 eV, which is higher than the band gap of the bulk phase wurtzite CdS. The existence of the excitonic peak and the blue-shift in the absorption threshold confirm the quantum confinement in the synthesized nanoparticles. The temperature dependence of d. c. conductivity is studied and observed a linear response through current-voltage characteristics. Weak ferromagnetism is also observed in the synthesized CdS nanoparticles irrespective of the diamagnetic nature of CdS in bulk form. The observation of weak ferromagnetism in the synthesized nanoparticles proposes them as a potential candidate for diluted magnetic semiconductors.

Food industry is one of the fastest growing industry. With the development of varieties in this industry, the need for revenue management is vital. Revenue management is a technique to optimize the income by selling the right product to right customer at right time which is done by using data driven tactics and strategies. In this paper, a revenue management problem is formulated as multi-objective programming problem in an uncertain environment. As in real life situations most of the parameters are generally uncertain, therefore cost parameter considered as triangular fuzzy numbers. Fuzzy problem is converted into deterministic problem by alpha-cut method and then the algorithm is developed to solve the multi-objective linear programming problem to optimize revenue as well as cost simultaneously. To demonstrate and justify the formulated problem a numerical illustration has been considered and solved. All the mathematical problems are solved through an optimisation software LINGO-13.

The IT sector in India is at times having a lot of trouble in providing technical services to the organizations spread across the country. The task is more challenging due to the scarcity of competent engineers in comparison to the number of organizations. A lot of the professionals prefer to serve overseas instead of serving in India. There are a lot of factors that affect the employee retention in the IT sector. The objective of this paper is to study the factors such as Promotion, compensation, conditions of works of the employees, and the type of work that has an effect on the job satisfaction of the employees and that are the causes of reduced employee retention in the IT companies in India. The sample size consists of 200 IT professionals working in different IT companies in Delhi NCR. Out of total 240 Questionnaires distributed to the employees 200 questionnaires were received and were further they have been used for the purpose analysis. For doing the data analysis/results the SPSS 20.0 and SPSS AMOS 23 has been used.

Manganese magnesium ferrite nanoparticles (MMF NPs) doped with different concentration of scandium was synthesized by facile sol-gel method using citric acid as an anionic surfactant. X-ray diffrac...

Aim of the study: The current study was aimed to investigate the neuropathic pain attenuating mechanism of pregabalin using chronic constriction injury (CCI) model in rats.Material and Meth...

D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) is an astroglial enzyme abundantly present in the pain sensing regions including brain and spinal cord. There have been studies indicating an upregulation and increased activity of DAAO in different pain models. Furthermore, the upregulation of DAAO also results in the development of morphine tolerance as well as morphine-induced hyperalgesia. Accordingly, the knockdown of DAAO gene or pharmacological inhibition of DAAO reduces pain, reverses tolerance to morphine and hyperalgesia. The pain inducing actions of DAAO are related to augmented production of (hydrogen peroxide) H2O2, pro-inflammatory cytokines and activation of (Transient receptor protein Ankyrin-1) TRPA1 channels. On the other hand, exogenously administrated DAAO has also been shown to attenuate the pain in different pain models. The pain attenuating actions of DAAO enzyme has been linked to extensive metabolism of D-serine, which may not be able to activate NMDA receptor and trigger pain. The current review highlights the pain attenuating and pain inducing role of DAAO in experimental studies.

In the present work, mixed structure Zn(S,O) nanoparticles have been synthesized using solution based chemical coprecipitation technique. Two different zinc sources (Zn(CH3COO)2·2H2O and ZnSO4·7H2O) and one sulfur source (CSNH2NH2) have been used as primary chemical precursors for the synthesis of the nanoparticles in the presence and absence of a capping agent (EDTA). The structural, morphological, compositional and optical properties of the nanoparticles have been analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier transmission infra-red (FT-IR) and UV-Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. XRD revealed the formation of mixed phases of c-ZnS, h-ZnS and h-ZnO in the synthesized nanoparticles. The surface morphology was analyzed from SEM micrographs which showed noticeable changes due to the effect of EDTA. EDX analysis confirmed the presence of zinc, sulfur and oxygen in Zn(S,O) nanoparticles. FT-IR spectra identified the presence of characteristic absorption peaks of ZnS and ZnO along with other functional group elements. The optical band gap values were found to vary from 4.16 eV to 4.40 eV for Zn(S,O) nanoparticles which are higher in comparison to the band gap values of bulk ZnS and ZnO. These higher band gap values may be attributed to the mixed structure of Zn(S,O) nanoparticles.

Fluorescent quantum dots (QDs) are potential candidates for bio-imaging but major problems in using them for bio-imaging applications are either bandgap lying in UV region or the cytotoxicity of th...

The present work deals with the effect of indium doping (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.10) on the structural, morphological, compositional and optical properties of the chemically synthesized Zn1−xInxS nanoparticles. In addition, the antibacterial activity of Zn1−xInxS nanoparticles is examined by the disc diffusion method. XRD results have revealed that In3+ ions are successfully incorporated into the host ZnS structure and exhibit zincblende structure and the crystallite size is reduced with indium doping. FE-SEM displayed substantial variation in the spherical morphology of the ZnS nanoparticles with indium addition. EDX analysis identified the proportional amount of indium, zinc and sulphur elements, and the elemental mapping confirmed their distribution in the synthesized nanoparticles. The IR absorption peaks of functional groups present in Zn1−xInxS nanoparticles are studied using FTIR spectra, and the observed absorption bands between 700 cm−1 and 500 cm−1 are perceived for the characteristics Zn–S and In–S stretching modes. The optical absorption edge for all the samples is found to be blueshifted with respect to bulk ZnS, and strong quantum confinement is anticipated with the widening of band gap from 4.03 eV to 4.20 eV with indium doping. Furthermore, the pristine and doped Zn1−xInxS nanoparticles are found to inhibit the growth of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria in the range of 20–100 µg/ml. Enhanced antibacterial activity is observed for Zn1−xInxS nanoparticles with x = 0.10 as compared to other compositions. Besides, the optoelectronic perceptions are contingent on the evident variations in the optical properties and the antibacterial action of Zn1−xInxS nanoparticles can be utilized in the drug-resistant challenges of the microbial world.

This paper describes the development and need of Supply Chain Management (SCM) in manufacturing companies and how it gradually is trending towards Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) in leading Indian manufacturing companies. Through elaborate literature review, the various work in the area of sustainability and GSCM have been observed and reflections on the origin of GSCM at global level have been collated. India is seemingly catching up on this global trend and so the paper gives a look out on the Indian government policies and commitment towards sustainability. The paper then synthesises on sustainability reports (2018–19) of top 10 manufacturing companies in India to check on the seriousness and extent of work being carried out by these companies who are supposedly the flag bearers of manufacturing industry in India. Finally, a discussion elaborates on the benefits of sustainability and GSCM as well as the challenges in implementing them in manufacturing environment with reference to India. In the last a conclusion is derived along with a summary to share the related observations and suggestions.

In the present work, the effect of temperature and moisture has been studied on nano-porous polycarbonate membranes of size 15, 50, and 80 nm, respectively to formulate the calibration curves for the future development of humidity sensors. These studies were conducted for virgin as well as humid samples while the temperature range was kept from room temperature to 160°C. Interesting variations in the capacitance with pore size and temperature have been observed. Calibration curves demonstrate that nanoporous polycarbonate samples are one of the important candidates for developing humidity sensors. In addition surface behavior has also been studied for the selective samples to better understand the dielectric behavior for nascent as well as moisturized samples.

In the present ferrites (soft & hard) series, Saturation Magnetization, increases only at lowers concentration of Indium. The cation distribution from Mossbauer analysis indicates that Indium ion a...

Magnesium nano ferrite substituted with Yttrium and Samarium is synthesized by Sol Gel Auto Combustion method by optimising the sintering temperature and its duration to achieve pure Spinel...

In the present work, the gamma ray backscattering technique was used to determine the effective atomic numbers for certain binary alloys. With the help of a muffle furnace, the binary alloys were synthesized using the melt quenching technique with different compositions of 82 Pb, 50 Sn, and 30 Zn. The intensity distribution of backscattered photons from radioactive isotope 22 Na (511 keV) was recorded with the help of GAMMARAD5 [76 mm × 76 mm NaI(Tl) scintillator detector] and analyzed as a function of both atomic number and thickness of the target material. The effective atomic numbers for the same binary alloys were also computed theoretically using the atomic to electronic cross-section method with the help of the mass attenuation coefficient database of WinXCom (2001). Good agreement was observed between theoretical and experimental results for the effective atomic numbers of all the selected alloys.

This work presents a comprehensive study on the optical behavior of cadmium sulphide (CdS) nanoparticles under the effect of nickel (Ni2+ ions) doping. The pristine and Ni-doped CdS nanoparticles (CdS:Ni) have been synthesized via. conventional co-precipitation technique and analyzed using UV-visible spectrophotometer. Ni2+ ions with different concentrations (2% and 4%) incorporate in CdS structure, modify it and hence, exhibit a red shift of absorption edge. The increase in Ni2+ ions concentration from 0% to 4% leads to tailor the optical band gap of CdS from 2.70 eV to 2.47 eV. These band gap values are higher than that of bulk CdS which confirm a quantum size effect in the synthesized nanoparticles.

Fluorescent ZnS:Mn quantum dots coated with hypro-mellose (HPMC) were synthesized by using simple and facile chemical precipitation technique in which HPMC acts as a novel organic surfactant to passivate the surface, to tune the optical properties and also to functionalize the surface of quantum dot for a futuristic controlled drug release applications. Morphological and optical characterizations were done to see the effect of HPMC coating on ZnS:Mn quantum dots. Structural and morphological studies was done by using XRD and TEM respectively. XRD studies confirms the pure zinc blende phase for all the samples. TEM studies shows that HPMC is efficiently doing the surface passivation in doped quantum dots. Optical studies were done by using UV–visible, FTIR and time resolved photoluminescence. UV–visible studies shows that quantum confinement effect is more prominent and also tunable in case of HPMC coated manganese doped ZnS quantum dots. FTIR studies confirms the functionalization of HPMC on the surface of doped ZnS quantum dots. Laser induced time resolved photoluminescence studies were also done to see the effect of HPMC on the photoluminescence intensity of doped quantum dots. Time resolved studies clearly shows the much desired luminescence stability of the HPMC coated quantum dots. It is observed that both the structural and optical characteristics have strong dependence on capping concentration. As HPMC is a very important viscoelastic polymer and organic surfactant used in various types of drug formulations, these studies opens a new way in the area of efficient drug delivery, controlled drug release and targeting.

This work presents a study on the surface morphology, structure and optical behavior of stable phase cadmium sulphide (CdS) nanoparticles synthesized via co-precipitation technique. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis has been employed to study a cluster formation in the aggregated nanoparticles. An image analysis approach using ImageJ has been used to measure the size of nanoparticles from the SEM micrographs. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic (FT-IR) analysis identified absorption peaks of Cd–S stretching along with moisture content. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that CdS nanoparticles crystallized in wurtzite structure with a preferential orientation along (0 0 2) plane. The particle size, microstrain and lattice constants have been evaluated using XRD data. The lattice parameters of these nanoparticles were found to be shorter than the bulk value which led to lattice contraction. The optical absorption study showed a blue shift in the fundamental absorption edge indicating a quantum size effect.

Genetic diversity among 48 maize genotypes was determined using 11 morphological traits, 4 biochemical traits and 29 SSR primers. To assess the genetic diversity, data on morphological traits were recorded during the year 2013–2014 using standard maize descriptors. Eleven morphological traits observed across the 48 maize genotypes showed wide variation and grouped various test genotypes into two clusters. Based on the mean performance of genotypes, LM-19-07 and HKI-1348 were found superior for grain yield/plant, cob length, cob girth, kernel row/ear among all the genotypes. Protein content of LM-02-08 was the highest among all the genotypes. CML193 was found superior for iron and zinc content. Carotenoid content of LM-19-07 was higher as compared to checks. At molecular level, 29 SSR primers amplified 96 polymorphic alleles with an average of 2.16 alleles per primer. Size of amplified alleles ranged from 50 to 500 bp. Mean polymorphic information content was 0.43 showing high level of SSR polymorphism. Cluster analysis based on SSR data differentiated 48 maize genotypes into two major clusters. Bayesian model-based structure analysis assigned genotypes into two clusters and also showed the extent of admixture within individuals. Clustering pattern of maize genotypes based on SSR marker profiles was different from that of morphometric traits. Based on the pooled analysis at morphological, biochemical and molecular level, genotype LM-19-07 was found superior as well as most distant among all the accessions under study. So the genotype LM-19-07 could be used in future breeding programmes for genetic improvement in maize.

Нанопорошок ZnO був синтезований методом прямого осадження в умовах навколишнього середовища, використовуючи хлорид цинку та гідроксид натрію як первинні прекурсори. Структурні, морфологічні та оптичні властивості нанопорошку ZnO були досліджені за допомогою рентгенівської дифракції (XRD), польової скануючої електронної мікроскопії (FE-SEM), енергетично-дисперсійної спектроскопії (EDX), FT-IR, та UV-Visible спектроскопії дифузного відбиття. Аналіз XRD показує, що нанопорошок ZnO має полікристалічну природу та структуру вюрциту. Синтезований нанопорошок складається з однофазних кристалітів, високоорієнтованих у площині відбиття (101). Аналіз EDX підтверджує наявність у нанопорошку вмісту окремих Zn та O, склад яких є майже стехіометричним у пропорції. Морфологія поверхні нанопорошку ZnO була проаналізована методом FE-SEM і було встановлено, що надмірна поверхнева енергія наночастинок відповідає за випадкову орієнтацію та агломерацію. Взаємодія різних функціональних груп під час синтезу була визначена з спектру FT-IR. Наявність чітких піків поглинання та смуг для стандартних хвильових чисел підтверджує успішне утворення ZnO з різних хімічних речовин, що використовуються в синтезі. Ширина оптичної забороненої зони була оцінена за графіком Кубелка-Манка шляхом екстраполяції лінійної частини кривої на вісь енергій. Наявність частинок у нанодіапазоні та високе значення ширини оптичної забороненої зони підтримують ефект квантового утримання в нанопорошку ZnO. ZnO nanopowder has been synthesized by direct precipitation technique at ambient conditions using zinc chloride and sodium hydroxide as primary precursors. The structural, morphological and optical properties of ZnO nanopowder have been examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field effect scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX), FT-IR, and UV-Visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The XRD analysis shows that ZnO nanopowder is polycrystalline in nature and has a wurtzite structure. The synthesized nanopowder possesses single-phase crystallites which are highly oriented in (101) reflection plane. EDX analysis confirms the presence of lone Zn and O content in the nanopowder which is almost stoichiometric in the proportion. The surface morphology of ZnO nanopowder has been analyzed by FE-SEM and it was found that the excessive surface energy of the nanoparticles is responsible for the random orientation and agglomeration. The interaction of different functional groups during the synthesis has been identified from the FT-IR spectrum. The presence of distinct absorption peaks and bands at respected wavenumbers confirms the successful formation of ZnO from the different chemicals used in the synthesis. The optical bandgap has been estimated from the Kubelka-Munk plot by extrapolating the linear portion of the curve on the energy axis. The existence of the particles in the nanorange and a high optical bandgap value support the quantum confinement effect in ZnO nanopowder.

In this work, pyridine-coated ZnS:Mn2+ core–shell quantum dots are synthesized through a simple soft chemical route, namely the chemical precipitation method and the effect of pyridine capping has been studied on the morphological and optical parameters of the quantum dots. Morphological properties are investigated through X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy. XRD measurements showed that both the ZnS:Mn+ quantum dots and the ZnS quantum dots possessed a zinc blende structure and the crystal structure is not changed with the capping and Mn2+ doping. Bandgap measurements are made through UV–visible spectroscopy. FTIR spectra gave the direct evidence that pyridine shells have been successfully coated on the ZnS:Mn+ quantum dots. Room-temperature photoluminescence spectrum of the undoped sample, exhibited only a blue-light emission peaked at 422.6 nm under UV excitation. However, from the Mn2+ doped samples, a yellow-orange emission from the Mn2+ (4T1 − 6A1) transition has been observed along with the blue emission. For 1 % capping concentration efficient emission of yellow-orange light with the emission peak at 590 nm is observed along with the suppressed defect related blue emission. As pyridine is an excellent capping agent for functionalization of quantum dots by ligand exchange process so the synthesized highly fluorescent core–shell quantum dots are very important for biological applications.

Medical tourism is growing and diversifying at a high rate. The medical tourism in India is poised to be next success story after software industry. This term is used to refer to travel activity that involves a medical procedure or activities that promote the wellbeing of the patient. The term medical tourism is the act of travelling to other countries to obtain medical, dental and surgical care. (Connell 2006) All the beneficiaries of this industry are putting their best foot forward by providing quality services at affordable cost in order to lure medical tourists. It goes without saying that only those health care organizations will survive and succeed in gaining competitive advantage over others that incorporates quality improvement process on a continuous basis. The results show that there is significant growth of medical tourism in India, which is growing at the rate 30% in 2015 (Saravana 2015) The standards of medical treatment and hospital facilities provided to patients have significantly improved in India with 21 hospitals in India already accredited by JCI. In this study hospital chosen for the present study is the hospital one amongst the list of JCI accredited hospitals in India. The objective of this study is to identify the medical tourist's satisfaction level & also to identify the grey areas for better services. The results show that they were quite satisfied with the services availed & are recommending it to others due to the significant treatment services.

In the present work, the structural and optical properties of Silica capped ZnS:Mn quantum dots (QDs) has been reported. Chemical precipitation technique was used to form the core–shell nanostructures. The results indicate that the Silica capped ZnS:Mn QDs has cubic Zinc Blende structure and its grain size is about 2 nm as demonstrated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Transmission electron microscopy images showed that the presence of Silica capping on ZnS:Mn QDs can prevent their agglomeration by cluster formation and their particle size (2–3 nm) well matches with XRD results. The selected area diffraction pattern shows a set of sharp rings corresponding to the (111), (220) and (311) lattice planes of the cubic phase of ZnS which proves the polycrystalline behaviour. Band gap studies were done by UV–visible spectroscopy and presence of Silica have been confirmed by EDAX and FTIR analysis. Photoluminescence studies shows emission wavelength as well as intensity to be tunable with Silica capping. As Silica capped ZnS:Mn QDs can control various parameters of ZnS:Mn, they are suitable material for specific kind of tunable optoelectronic devices.

Medical tourism is growing and diversifying at a high rate. The medical tourism in India is poised to be next success story after software industry. This term is used to refer to travel activity that involves a medical procedure or activities that promote the wellbeing of the patient. The term medical tourism is the act of travelling to other countries to obtain medical, dental and surgical care. (Connell 2006) All the beneficiaries of this industry are putting their best foot forward by providing quality services at affordable cost in order to lure medical tourists. It goes without saying that only those health care organizations will survive and succeed in gaining competitive advantage over others that incorporates quality improvement process on a continuous basis. The results show that there is significant growth of medical tourism in India, which is growing at the rate 30% in 2015 (Saravana 2015) The standards of medical treatment and hospital facilities provided to patients have significantly improved in India with 21 hospitals in India already accredited by JCI. In this study hospital chosen for the present study is the hospital one amongst the list of JCI accredited hospitals in India. The objective of this study is to identify the medical tourist's satisfaction level & also to identify the grey areas for better services. The results show that they were quite satisfied with the services availed & are recommending it to others due to the significant treatment services.

The phenomenon of signature inversion observed in the $\pi h_{11/2} \otimes\nu i_{13/2}$ band of 152Eu and 156Tb nuclides is revisited through the axially symmetric two quasiparticle plus rotor model approach. The magnitude of experimentally observed signature splitting and point of signature inversion, which could not be explicitly reproduced in the earlier calculations, is successfully reproduced in the present study. Some of the critical issues, such as violation of the well-established Gallagher Moszkowski (GM) rule for eight GM doublets appearing in the basis space of earlier calculations of 152Eu and 156Tb , are fixed and also the ambiguity regarding spin assignment to this band observed in 156Tb is resolved. These calculations are further extended to the same band ( $\pi h_{11/2} \otimes\nu i_{13/2}$ ) observed in 154Tb nuclide and signature inversion observed in this band is successfully reproduced.

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) belong to a super family of phase II detoxification enzymes, which play an important role in protecting cells from damage caused by endogenous and exogenous compounds by conjugating reactive intermediates with glutathione to produce less reactive water-soluble compounds. In the present study, we determined the frequencies of two polymorphisms in exon 5 and exon 6 of GSTP1 gene in 500 normal individuals from Delhi. GSTP1 polymorphism was analysed by PCR-RFLP using amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) assay. Two polymorphic sites in GSTP1 (Ile105 → Val105; Ala114 → Val114) have been analysed simultaneously, which results in four alleles: GSTP1*A (wild-type Ile105; Ala114), GSTP1*B (Val105; Ala114), GSTP1*C (Val105; Val114) and GSTP1*D (Ile105; Val114). The GSTP1 allele frequency in Delhi population was 0.663, 0.248, 0.069, and 0.020 for GSTP1*A, GSTP1*B, GSTP1*C, and GSTP1*D respectively. The frequency of Ile105 and Val105 allele was 0.683 and 0.317 respectively and it was calculated for the purpose of comparison with published data where all the four alleles were not analysed. GSTP1 alleles from Delhi population were compared with reported frequencies from all over India, and from other ethnic groups worldwide. This study would provide a basic database for future genetic studies.

Echinococcosis is a preventable but neglected zoonosis in India. Although the disease in domestic animals is usually asymptomatic, huge economic losses have been reported due to cystic echinococcosis in livestock in India. The molecular characterization of Echinococcus from dog populations has not been previously carried out in Punjab (India). A total of 237 pet and stray dog faecal samples were collected and examined for the presence of eggs of the Taeniidae family in Punjab (India). A 255 base pair fragment of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene was amplified and the presence of sheep strain (G1) of E. granulosus has been reported. We detected eggs of the Taeniidae family in 2.11 per cent of the faecal samples. High prevalence was recorded in stray dogs (9.52 %) living near slaughter shops/post mortem areas. The prevalence of E. granulosus sheep strain (G1) using PCR was found to be 0.84 per cent in naturally infected dogs. This is the first study confirming the presence of E. granulosus (G1) sheep strain in dogs in Punjab (India). The results reveal the presence of sheep strain of E. granulosus and demand implementation of Animal Birth Control programme so as to control the stray dog population of the country.

Neuropathic pain is a chronic pain state caused by injury of the nervous system, and there are various conditions associated with it such as diabetic neuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia, cancer pain, trigeminal neuralgia, cervical radiculopathy, and anticancer and anti-HIV-induced neuropathic pain. The pathophysiological role of voltage-gated T-type calcium channels in neuropathic pain has been well documented. ABT-639 is a peripherally acting, selective T-type calcium channel blocker, and it is shown to efficiently reduce nociceptive and neuropathic pain in rats in multiple models. However, three clinical studies exploring the role of single dose or multiple doses of ABT-639 (100 mg) in diabetic neuropathy have not found significant pain-attenuating actions. The present review discusses the unsuccessful clinical trials of peripherally acting ABT-639 in patients with diabetic neuropathy.

Neuropathic pain is a complex chronic pain state caused by the dysfunction of somatosensory nervous system, and it affects the millions of people worldwide. At present, there are very few medical treatments available for neuropathic pain management and the intolerable side effects of medications may further worsen the symptoms. Despite the presence of profound knowledge that delineates the pathophysiology and mechanisms leading to neuropathic pain, the unmet clinical needs demand more research in this field that would ultimately assist to ameliorate the pain conditions. Efforts are being made globally to explore and understand the basic molecular mechanisms responsible for somatosensory dysfunction in preclinical pain models. The present review highlights some of the novel molecular targets like D-amino acid oxidase, endoplasmic reticulum stress receptors, sigma receptors, hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated cation channels, histone deacetylase, Wnt/β-catenin and Wnt/Ryk, ephrins and Eph receptor tyrosine kinase, Cdh-1 and mitochondrial ATPase that are implicated in the induction of neuropathic pain. Studies conducted on the different animal models and observed results have been summarized with an aim to facilitate the efforts made in the drug discovery. The diligent analysis and exploitation of these targets may help in the identification of some promising therapies that can better manage neuropathic pain and improve the health of patients.

In this work, the functionalization of ZnS quantum dots using the thiol group of l-cysteine for different concentrations has been reported. Chemical precipitation method was used for the synthesis of nascent as well as l-cysteine functionalized ZnS quantum dots for optimized values of pH and molar concentrations of the precursors. Morphological studies were done by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and TEM. Optical measurements were done by UV–visible, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and energy resolved photoluminescence studies. Particle size was calculated by using Brus equation. Appreciable changes in morphological and optical properties of ZnS quantum dots were observed in few cases. XRD results shows that, the primary crystallite size decreases with increasing the capping concentration, however, the crystal structure remain same for all the used concentrations of l-cysteine. UV–visible analysis shows that band gap and particle size is also tunable with l-cysteine capping. FTIR studies confirmed l-cysteine capping on the surface of quantum dots. As l-cysteine is non toxic and stable compound, the surface modification of ZnS quantum dots with l-cysteine not only prevents the aggregation of quantum dots but also make them available for the interaction with the target materials and make them suitable for specific biomedical applications.