APPLICATION OF A VALIDATED STABILITY-INDICATING HPTLC METHOD FOR SIMULTANEOUS QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION OF CANDESARTAN CILEXETIL AND HYDROCHLOROTHIAZIDE IN PHARMACEUTICAL DOSAGE FORM

Objective: To develop and validate stability indicating HPTLC method for simultaneous quantitative determination of candesartan cilexetil (CDT) and hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) in pharmaceutical dosage form.Methods: The present study deals with development and validation of stability indicating HPTLC method for simultaneous estimation of CDT and HCT. Chromatographic separation was performed on aluminum plate precoated with Silica Gel 60 F254 using toluene: chloroform: ethanol: glacial acetic acid (2:7:1:0.1 v/v) as mobile phase. The wavelength selected for densitometry scanning was 270 nm. Regression plots revealed linear relationships in the concentration range of 500-5000 and 400-2000 ng/band for CDT and HCT respectively. The correlation coefficient of calibration curves was found to be more than 0.99 for both analytes.Results: The chromatographic conditions gave compact spots at Rf value (±SD) 0.12 (±0.01) and 0.70 (±0.02) for HCT and CDT respectively. The method was validated as per International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines, demonstrating to be accurate and precise within the corresponding linearity range of titled analytes. Inherent stability of these drugs was studied by exposing drug substances to various stress conditions as per ICH guidelines namely oxidative, photolysis and hydrolytic conditions under different pH. Relevant degradation was found to take place under these conditions.Conclusion: A new simple, accurate, precise, sensitive and economic stability-indicating HPTLC method has been developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of CDT and HCT in pharmaceutical dosage form. The proposed method can be used for the routine estimation of CDT and HCT in bulk and formulation and can be employed for stability-indicating analysis.Keywords: Candesartan cilexetil, Hydrochlorothiazide, HPTLC, Stability indicating method, Forced degradation, Stress studies, Validatio

A new species of fan-throated lizard of the genus Sitana Cuvier, 1829(Squamata: Agamidae) from northern Karnataka, India

A new species of fan-throated lizard of the genus Sitana Cuvier, 1829 is described from northern Karnataka, India. The new species is similar to members of the clade of Sitanaspinaecephalus Deepak et al., 2016, however, can be distinguished based on morphological as well as molecular data. Sitana dharwarensissp. nov. differs from its sister species, S. laticeps Deepak & Giri, 2016 in bearing a much larger dewlap. Data from micro-CT scan of the cranium and jaws further add support to the distinctness of the new species. The rivers, namely Krishna and Tungabhadra, likely act as a biogeographic barrier for terrestrial lizard species

Flyash lime gypsum bricks - A boon for Vidarbha region

Flyash line gypsum bricks are much superior to conventional clay bricks available in the Vidarbha region. This fact has been established by the authors through extensive research work. Need of the hour is to give proper technical support to the manufacturers of the fly ash bricks and to provide proper facilities to monitor the quality of these bricks so as to make them popular and acceptable to the consumers

Cardiac amyloidosis in non-transplant cardiac surgery

Cardiac amyloidosis is a rare infiltrative cardiomyopathy that portends a poor prognosis. There is a growing recognition of co-existent aortic valve stenosis and transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis, with some studies suggesting that dual pathology may be associated increased risk of complication and mortality during surgical intervention. This review aims to evaluate the available literature on non-transplant cardiac surgical interventions in patients with cardiac amyloidosis, with particular focus on diagnosis, high surgical risk and areas of uncertainty that require further research

Ring Shape Microstrip Antenna Backed by Modified Ground Plane for Multiband Response in GSM and Radar Applications

Abstract Ring shape microstrip antenna designs supported via an altered ground plane profile are proposed for multi-band response with wider bandwidth in each band. The impedance bandwidth of a single ring patch supported via a slot cut ground plane on a substrate having a thickness of ~ 0.1λg, is 45.8% and the broadside gain is 5.6 dBi. By employing additional stack patches, dual and triple-band configurations are obtained. In the respective operative frequency bands, maximum 15% of bandwidth is achieved in the suggested antenna, with a maximum broadside gain of more than 5.5 dBi. Through the acquired antenna features, the proposed configuration fulfills the criteria of E-GSM900/Secondary Surveillance Radar/Aeronautical Radio Navigation Applications

First appearance deceives many: disentangling the Hemidactylus triedrus species complex using an integrated approach

The gekkonid lizard genus Hemidactylus Oken is the second most species-rich genus of geckos with greatest diversity in the tropical regions of the world. Some species of the genus are commensal and widespread; however, there are several endemic lineages with restricted distribution. India is home to at least 35 species, with 20 endemic species and the number is steadily increasing with exploration of new habitats and integrated taxonomic approach including molecular data. We made investigations into the molecular and morphological variation throughout the distribution of Hemidactylus triedrus Daudin, 1802 based on fresh specimens, literature review, museum material and molecular data. Results from morphological, molecular and micro-CT based anatomical data are unequivocal and show that H. triedrus is a species complex represented by three species, H. triedrus sensu stricto and two undescribed taxa. H. subtriedrus Jerdon, 1854 syn. nov. was found to be morphologically similar to the type specimen of H. triedrus, and genetically embedded in a clade containing H. triedrus sensu stricto and is here treated as a junior synonym of H. triedrus, whereas H. lankae Deraniyagala is referred to as nomen dubium given that the types are presently not traceable and the original description is inadequate in diagnosing the taxon. The populations from western-central India and parts of Pakistan, and from southern Karnataka are distinct and diagnosable, and are herein described as two new species, respectively. Morphological and molecular data support the distinctiveness of the new species. The present work resolves a taxonomic turmoil that lasted over two centuries highlighting the need for studies that integrate morphological and molecular data

Obesity and diabetes are major risk factors for epicardial adipose tissue inflammation

BACKGROUND: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) directly overlies the myocardium, with changes in its morphology and volume associated with myriad cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. However, EAT’s immune structure and cellular characterization remain incompletely described. We aimed to define the immune phenotype of EAT in humans and compare such profiles across lean, obese, and diabetic patients. METHODS: We recruited 152 patients undergoing open-chest coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), valve repair/replacement (VR) surgery, or combined CABG/VR. Patients’ clinical and biochemical data and EAT, subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), and preoperative blood samples were collected. Immune cell profiling was evaluated by flow cytometry and complemented by gene expression studies of immune mediators. Bulk RNA-Seq was performed in EAT across metabolic profiles to assess whole-transcriptome changes observed in lean, obese, and diabetic groups. RESULTS: Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated EAT was highly enriched in adaptive immune (T and B) cells. Although overweight/obese and diabetic patients had similar EAT cellular profiles to lean control patients, the EAT exhibited significantly (P ≤ 0.01) raised expression of immune mediators, including IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ. These changes were not observed in SAT or blood. Neither underlying coronary artery disease nor the presence of hypertension significantly altered the immune profiles observed. Bulk RNA-Seq demonstrated significant alterations in metabolic and inflammatory pathways in the EAT of overweight/obese patients compared with lean controls. CONCLUSION: Adaptive immune cells are the predominant immune cell constituent in human EAT and SAT. The presence of underlying cardiometabolic conditions, specifically obesity and diabetes, rather than cardiac disease phenotype appears to alter the inflammatory profile of EAT. Obese states markedly alter EAT metabolic and inflammatory signaling genes, underlining the impact of obesity on the EAT transcriptome profile. FUNDING: Barts Charity MGU0413, Abbott, Medical Research Council MR/T008059/1, and British Heart Foundation FS/13/49/30421 and PG/16/79/32419

Ethnicity and Population Structure in Personal Naming Networks

Personal naming practices exist in all human groups and are far from random. Rather, they continue to reflect social norms and ethno-cultural customs that have developed over generations. As a consequence, contemporary name frequency distributions retain distinct geographic, social and ethno-cultural patterning that can be exploited to understand population structure in human biology, public health and social science. Previous attempts to detect and delineate such structure in large populations have entailed extensive empirical analysis of naming conventions in different parts of the world without seeking any general or automated methods of population classification by ethno-cultural origin. Here we show how 'naming networks', constructed from forename-surname pairs of a large sample of the contemporary human population in 17 countries, provide a valuable representation of cultural, ethnic and linguistic population structure around the world. This innovative approach enriches and adds value to automated population classification through conventional national data sources such as telephone directories and electoral registers. The method identifies clear social and ethno-cultural clusters in such naming networks that extend far beyond the geographic areas in which particular names originated, and that are preserved even after international migration. Moreover, one of the most striking findings of this approach is that these clusters simply 'emerge' from the aggregation of millions of individual decisions on parental naming practices for their children, without any prior knowledge introduced by the researcher. Our probabilistic approach to community assignment, both at city level as well as at a global scale, helps to reveal the degree of isolation, integration or overlap between human populations in our rapidly globalising world. As such, this work has important implications for research in population genetics, public health, and social science adding new understandings of migration, identity, integration and social interaction across the world

A comprehensive curated resource for follicle stimulating hormone signaling

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) is an important hormone responsible for growth, maturation and function of the human reproductive system. FSH regulates the synthesis of steroid hormones such as estrogen and progesterone, proliferation and maturation of follicles in the ovary and spermatogenesis in the testes. FSH is a glycoprotein heterodimer that binds and acts through the FSH receptor, a G-protein coupled receptor. Although online pathway repositories provide information about G-protein coupled receptor mediated signal transduction, the signaling events initiated specifically by FSH are not cataloged in any public database in a detailed fashion.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>We performed comprehensive curation of the published literature to identify the components of FSH signaling pathway and the molecular interactions that occur upon FSH receptor activation. Our effort yielded 64 reactions comprising 35 enzyme-substrate reactions, 11 molecular association events, 11 activation events and 7 protein translocation events that occur in response to FSH receptor activation. We also cataloged 265 genes, which were differentially expressed upon FSH stimulation in normal human reproductive tissues.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We anticipate that the information provided in this resource will provide better insights into the physiological role of FSH in reproductive biology, its signaling mediators and aid in further research in this area. The curated FSH pathway data is freely available through NetPath (<url>http://www.netpath.org</url>), a pathway resource developed previously by our group.</p

Including gaming disorder in the ICD-11: the need to do so from a clinical and public health perspective

The proposed introduction of gaming disorder (GD) in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) has led to a lively debate over the past year. Besides the broad support for the decision in the academic press, a recent publication by van Rooij et al. (2018) repeated the criticism raised against the inclusion of GD in ICD-11 by Aarseth et al. (2017). We argue that this group of researchers fails to recognize the clinical and public health considerations, which support the WHO perspective. It is important to recognize a range of biases that may influence this debate; in particular, the gaming industry may wish to diminish its responsibility by claiming that GD is not a public health problem, a position which maybe supported by arguments from scholars based in media psychology, computer games research, communication science, and related disciplines. However, just as with any other disease or disorder in the ICD-11, the decision whether or not to include GD is based on clinical evidence and public health needs. Therefore, we reiterate our conclusion that including GD reflects the essence of the ICD and will facilitate treatment and prevention for those who need it