ABSTRACT
Introduction: Nowadays, people are showing a keen interest in yoga and meditation as an alternative therapy to manage psychological stress and stress-related diseases. Yoga is a spiritual discipline with many proven health benefits. There are different types of yoga techniques practiced worldwide for their known health enhancement effects and for reduction of stress and its related disorders. One of the meditation techniques is Sahaja Yoga. It is a unique technique of meditation that involves mental state of internalized attention characterized by mental silence and emotionally positive experience of bliss. The present study has been undertaken to find out the heart rate variability (HRV) in Sahaja Yoga meditators during rest and meditation. Objectives: To study the HRV in Sahaja Yoga meditators during rest and meditation. Materials and methods: A total of 20 volunteers aged 25 to 40 years were considered for the study. The volunteers were practicing Sahaja Yoga meditation (SYM) regularly for 5 years or more. The HRV was recorded during rest with eyes closed and 15 minutes of SYM in a quiet room. Results: Statistical analysis was done using student paired t test. Results are given as mean ± standard deviation (SD). The mean R-R interval, total power (TP), low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), and LF/HF ratio were studied during rest and during meditation. The HF (during rest 16.2383 ± 11.1896 and during meditation 28.4875 ± 14.5112) was high and LF/HF ratio (during rest 2.262211 ± 1.346382 and during meditation 1.30545 ± 1.200041) was low during meditation compared with that during rest, which was statistically significant. Conclusion: Increase in HF and decrease in LF/HF ratio during meditation signifies that meditation shifts sympathovagal balance toward the parasympathetic side, hence signifying a relaxed state of body and mind in Sahaja Yoga meditators.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Red blood cells (RBCs) were observed under microscope by Jan Swammerdam in 1658. The RBC count was done in 1852 by Professor Karl Vierordt from Germany for the first time almost after 192 years. After this, the other scientists have also done RBC count with different methods. Hayem used a new diluting fluid (Hayem‖s diluting fluid) for RBC count which is used even today. The present methods have many errors mainly due to sampling, diluting, and pipetting. Materials and methods: In this study, the modified method of RBC counting has been shown. The RBC counting was done using hemoglobinometer pipette and modified diluting fluid - Hayem‖s fluid mixed with Leishman‖s stain (HFLS) RBC diluting fluid - in the ratio of 97.5 mL of Hayem‖s RBC diluting fluid and 2.5 mL of Leishman‖s stain to make 100 mL. Amber colored glass bottle top dispenser was used to dispense 2 and 4 mL of diluting fluid into the glass test tubes .With aseptic precautions, 10 and 20 μL of blood samples were collected by using the hemoglobinometer pipette (marked with black marker pen to get accurate measurement for 10 μL) from finger prick with sterile needle. The blood samples were added to the glass test tubes containing HFLS RBC diluting fluid and mixing was done with a glass stirrer. With the help of glass capillary tube, Neubauer chambers were charged and observed under microscope. Results: Red blood cells were seen better. The RBCs retained their shape and size even after 96 hours when the blood samples mixed with HFLS RBC diluting fluid were kept at room temperature. Conclusion: Red blood cells were seen better with this method and diluting and charging errors were minimized.
ABSTRACT
The visualization of red blood cells (RBCs) was compared by the modified method and the conventional method. The RBCs were seen better with the modified method.
ABSTRACT
Even though the physiology deals with the study of normal functions of the body the various physiological processes can be explained better with the help of underlying physical and chemical changes. The scientific progresses and advances in the subjects like physics, chemistry and biology gave us opportunity to apply principles of these sciences to understand the working of living organisms better. The underlying physical properties of lipids, water and their surface interaction led to the discovery of cell membrane. The use of vegetable oil to calm the sea waves was known to mankind since 4000 BC since the time from Akkadian ruler Hammurabi, but the more scientific experiments in this area were done by Benjamin Franklin, Lord Rayleigh, Agnes Pockels and Irving Langmuir. In this review we trace back the history of surface chemistry of lipids on water surface and their application in physiology.