Lipid peroxide, glutathione and glutathione-dependent enzyme (GST) in mixed zooplankton from the North- West Coast of India: Implication for the use of environmental monitoring

This work deals with an experiment on mixed zooplanktonic organisms collected from the shore water of Diu coast. The study analyzed and measured lipid peroxidation (LPX), as a marker of oxidative stress and glutathione-s-transferase (GST) activity, as a marker of organic pollution. Both LPX and GST activities were highest at the stations close to the shore and marginally decreased along with transect. The reduced glutathione (GSH) levels were highly variable. The results were discussed in relation to the biomarker application of mixed zooplankton, lipid peroxidation (LPX), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and reduced glutathione (GSH). The results indicated that, the three potential markers (LPX, GST and GSH), could be used as a measure for bio-monitoring the costal ecosystem using mixed zooplankton as suitable organisms.Key words: Zooplankton, lipid peroxidation, glutathione-S-transferase, reduced glutathione

Influence of Intensity and Duration of Yoga on Anxiety and Depression Scores Associated with Chronic Illness

Background: Chronic illness is commonly associated with anxiety and depression. Both anxiety and depression respond to yoga. However, there is no report on the association between the intensity and duration of yoga practice with the benefits seen.Aim: The present study was intended to determine whether the daily duration of yoga practice and the duration of experience in months would predict anxiety and depression, associated with chronic illness.Subjects and Methods: Seven hundred and sixty‑three volunteers with ages between 14 and 86 years (group mean age standard deviation, 50.2 [14.2]) who attended a 7 day residential yoga camp in the north of India were included in this cross‑sectional study. All participants had chronic illnesses, which were under control with treatment, and which were categorized and are detailed. Participants were assessed for state anxiety scores using State‑Trait Anxiety Inventory and for anxiety with hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS‑A), and depression was assessed using HADS‑D scores of the HADS. Linear multiple regression analyses were performed using PASW SPSS version 18.0 (Armonk, New York, U.S.) to determine how the daily and monthly duration of yoga practice could influence state anxiety, hospital anxiety and depression of the participants.Results: Yoga practice in months and the time spent practicing yoga each day significantly predict the level of state anxiety (P < 0.001, P = 0.03) and HAD‑A (P < 0.01, P < 0.01). The duration of yoga practice in months alone was a significant predictor of the HAD‑D (P < 0.01).Conclusions: The results suggest that the duration of yoga practice in months and daily practice in minutes predict anxiety associated with chronic illness. In contrast the duration of yoga practice in months alone, predicted depression scores. Keywords: Anxiety, Chronic illness, Depression, Linear multiple regression, Yoga practic

Novel RP-HPLC method development and validation for simultaneous estimation of metformin, voglibose and pioglitazone in bulk and triple fixed drug combinations pharmaceutical dosage form

Reducing treatment complexity can be achieved through the use of single-tablet triple fixed-dose combinations of oral hypoglycemic agents. A simple, precise and accurate reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of Metformin (MET), Voglibose (VOG) and Pioglitazone (PIO) in pharmaceutical dosage forms. Chromatographic separation was achieved on an Younglin (SK) gradient System with UV 730 D detector and Cosmosil C18 (250 x 4.6 mm, 5μm) column, maintained at 45°C using 0.1% v/v acetonitrile: triethylamine (30:70, v/v), pH 2.5 with flow rate 0.8 ml/min with injection volume at 20 μl and wavelength ultraviolet detection at 232 nm. MET, PIO and VOG obey Beer–Lambert’s law over the concentration range of 200-600 µg/ml, 30-90 µg/ml and 0.08-0.24 µg/ml, respectively, with regression equations y=2.021x -186.7 (MET) (R2 = 0.998), y=9.876x-202.31 (PIO) (R2 = 0.999),   and y= 502.3x-17.23 (VOG) (R2 = 0.999). % RSD and recoveries were 100.57-101.60 for MET, 99.79-102.61 for PIO and 100.02-101.05 for VOG indicate good accuracy of method. The marketed formulation analyzed using developed method and mean % amount were found 101.62, 100.38 and 98.75 for MET, PIO and VOG respectively with % RSD values NMT 2.0%. The developed spectrophotometric method can be employed for routine analysis of MET, VOG and PIO in bulk and tablet formulation. The developed RP-HPLC method was sensitive and selective for estimation of metformin, voglibose and pioglitazone in combined dosage form. The method was validated as per ICH guidelines. Keywords: RP-HPLC, ICH guidelines, Metformin, Voglibose, Pioglitazone, Validatio

Role of traditional medicines as a challenge for Coronavirus (Covid-19)

118-123Most of the countries in the world are facing the problem of disease caused by Novel coronavirus (covid-19) with symptoms of higher grade flu like symptoms or with no symptom. The infection spreads through contact with the person suffering/suffered from coronavirus symptoms like sneezing, high fever, cough and ultimately blockade of respiratory system. Sometimes symptoms of diarrhea and dysentery were also detected at advanced stage of the disease. Till now any effective medicine or vaccine could not be developed for its prevention and getting relief. Only trial and error by applying some antimalarial drugs chloroquine hydroxide alongwith some other antiviral infections is used and up to 38% are being recovered in India as well as other countries. Under such circumstances strengthening immune system becomes only option for preventing from this viral disease and our traditional medicines are playing vital role for immunity strengthening. Accordingly, some herbs either singly or in combination form have been suggested as preventive measure for coronavirus through this communication

Transdural herniated lumbar disc disease with muscle patch for closure of durotomy – A Brief review of literature

Purpose Intradural migration of disc (IDMD) is a rare clinical entity accounting for 0.27–0.33% of all herniated disc diseases. Flimsy or dense adhesion between the ventral dural surface and the opposing posterior longitudinal ligament (PLL) is the principal pathology for intradural migrated disc. The most commonly affected lumbar segments are L4-5 (55%), L3-4 (16%), L5-S1 (10%) and less commonly L2L3 and L1L2. No imaging feature is characteristic and the management protocol of durotomy via an endoscopic method is unclear. Methods An L5S1 disc disease was operated by endoscopic method. Difficulty in separating the dural sac from PLL, dense adhesions prompting sharp dissection at this location and a calcified disc are the earliest evidence of intradural migration. MRI features of an intradural location are loss of continuity of posterior longitudinal ligament, beak-like appearance also known as “Hawk-beak sign”, peripheral enhancement around an intradural disc, fluid-filled intradural cyst. Magnification either by Microscope or Endoscope is of importance when dissecting the intradural disc so as to avoid the nerve root injury. Liberal use of fibrin glue and augmentation with muscle patch was performed. Results Ambulated by 48h and discharged by 5th day. Two and 9 months follow up showed no evidence of pseudomeningocoele. Conclusion Autologous muscle patch with fibrin glue for dural rent closure is a simple and effective method which can be performed by endoscopic or minimally invasive approaches. Suturing the dura, being a tedious and cumbersome procedure can be avoided

Catalytic mechanism of the dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene over Fe-Co/Mg(Al)O derived from hydrotalcites

Catalytic mechanism of ethylbenzene dehydrogenation over Fe-Co/Mg(Al)O derived from hydrotalcites has been studied based on the XAFS and XPS catalyst characterization and the FTIR measurements of adsorbed species. Fe-Co/Mg(Al)O showed synergy, whereas Fe-Ni/Mg(Al)O showed no synergy, in the dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene. Ni species were stably incorporated as Ni(2+) in the regular sites in periclase and spinel structure in the Fe-Ni/Mg(Al)O. Contrarily, Co species exists as a mixture of Co(3+)/Co(2+) in the Fe-Co/Mg(Al)O and was partially isolated from the regular sites in the structures with increasing the Co content. Co addition enhanced Lewis acidity of Fe(3+) active sites by forming Fe(3+)-O-Co(3+/2+)(1/1) bond, resulting in an increase in the activity. FTIR of ethylbenzene adsorbed on the Fe-Co/Mg(Al)O clearly showed formations of C-O bond and pi-adsorbed aromatic ring. This suggests that ethylbenzene was strongly adsorbed on the Fe(3+) acid sites via pi-bonding and the dehydrogenation was initiated by alpha-H(+) abstraction from ethyl group on Mg(2+)-O(2-) basic sites, followed by C-O-Mg bond formation. The alpha-H(+) abstraction by O(2-)(-Mg(2+)) was likely followed by beta-H abstraction, leading to the formations of styrene and H(2). Such catalytic mechanism by the Fe(3+) acid-O(2-)(-Mg(2+)) base couple and the Fe(3+)/Fe(2+) reduction-oxidation cycle was further assisted by Co(3+)/Co(2+), leading to a good catalytic activity for the dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene

Investigating effects of parasite infection on body condition of the Kafue lechwe (Kobus leche kafuensis) in the Kafue basin

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Kafue lechwe (<it>Kobus leche Kafuensis</it>), a medium-sized semi-aquatic antelope, is endemic to the Kafue basin of Zambia. The population of the Kafue lechwe has significantly dropped in the last decades leading to its subsequent inclusion on the red list of endangered species. In order to save the remaining population from extinction, it has become increasingly important that the impact of parasite infection and infestation on the Kafue lechwe is investigated.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>Endoparasites accounted for the majority of parasites observed from a study of 40 Kafue lechwe occurring in the the Kafue basin. <it>Amphistoma spp. </it>were present in all animals examined, while <it>Fasciola gigantica </it>had a prevalence rate of 0.525 (95% CI: 0.36 to 0.69) and species of <it>Schistosoma </it>0.3 (95% CI: 0.15 to 0.45). Among the ectoparasites, <it>Strobiloestrous vanzyli</it>, had a prevalence rate of 0.15 (95% CI: 0.03 to 0.27), while <it>Rhipicephalus appendiculatus </it>had a prevalence of 0.075 (3/40). Our findings indicate that body condition was not influenced by the parasitic infestation in Kafue lechwe. There was no association between sex and parasitic burden (odds ratio = 0.3, 95% CI: 0.8-1.3). However, an association between age and parasitic burden was observed as older animals above 15 years were more likely to get parasite infections than those aged between 1-5 years (odds ratio = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.1-2.4).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Overall, there was no evidence that parasitic infections and infestations adversely affected the lechwe population on the Kafue basin. These findings indicate that ecto- and endo-parasite infestation might not play a significant role in reducing the Kafue lechwe population on the Kafue basin.</p

Effect of carbapenem resistance on outcomes of bloodstream infection caused by Enterobacteriaceae in low-income and middle-income countries (PANORAMA): a multinational prospective cohort study

Background Low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) are under-represented in reports on the burden of antimicrobial resistance. We aimed to quantify the clinical effect of carbapenem resistance on mortality and length of hospital stay among inpatients in LMICs with a bloodstream infection due to Enterobacteriaceae. Methods The PANORAMA study was a multinational prospective cohort study at tertiary hospitals in Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, India, Lebanon, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Vietnam, recruiting consecutively diagnosed patients with carbapenem-susceptible Enterobacteriaceae (CSE) and carbapenem-resistant Entero-bacteriaceae (CRE) bloodstream infections. We excluded patients who had previously been enrolled in the study and those not treated with curative intent at the time of bloodstream infection onset. There were no age restrictions. Central laboratories in India and the UK did confirmatory testing and molecular characterisation, including strain typing. We applied proportional subdistribution hazard models with inverse probability weighting to estimate the effect of carbapenem resistance on probability of discharge alive and in-hospital death, and multistate modelling for excess length of stay in hospital. All patients were included in the analysis. Findings Between Aug 1, 2014, and June 30, 2015, we recruited 297 patients from 16 sites in ten countries: 174 with CSE bloodstream infection and 123 with CRE bloodstream infection. Median age was 46 years (IQR 15–61). Crude mortality was 20% (35 of 174 patients) for patients with CSE bloodstream infection and 35% (43 of 123 patients) for patients with CRE bloodstream infection. Carbapenem resistance was associated with an increased length of hospital stay (3·7 days, 95% CI 0·3–6·9), increased probability of in-hospital mortality (adjusted subdistribution hazard ratio 1·75, 95% CI 1·04–2·94), and decreased probability of discharge alive (0·61, 0·45–0·83). Multilocus sequence typing showed various clades, with marginal overlap between strains in the CRE and CSE clades. Interpretation Carbapenem resistance is associated with increased length of hospital stay and mortality in patients with bloodstream infections in LMICs. These data will inform global estimates of the burden of antimicrobial resistance and reinforce the need for better strategies to prevent, diagnose, and treat CRE infections in LMICs