Bioremediation of wastewater using various sorbents and vegetable enzymes

The world community is facing a problem related to the management of wastewater very severely due to the extensive industrialization, increasing population density and a highly urbanized society. The quality of wastewater effluents is responsible for the degradation of receiving water bodies, such as lakes, rivers, streams. The two main processes for the removal of impurities from wastewater influents are chemical and biological. Because of the many drawbacks of chemical wastewater treatment, biological treatment is advocated in the last few decades. In this paper, an attempt has been made to use various alternative, inexpensive sorbents like sugarcane bagasse, spent tea leaves, fly ash and peroxidase enzyme isolated from the waste of vegetables to help in the bioremediation of wastewater samples. Among the various sorbents, fly ash was found to be the most effective and helped in the removal of organic matter as well as the inorganic ions. The combination of fly ash and charcoal helped drastically in lowering the chemical oxygen demand (COD) in the wastewater samples. Immobilized peroxidase enzyme was ideal for minimizing biological oxygen demand (BOD) and for the removal of phenols from wastewaters

ANTICANCER ACTIVITY OF CAMELLIA SINENSIS MEDIATED COPPER NANOPARTICLES AGAINST HT-29, MCF-7 AND MOLT-4 HUMAN CANCER CELL LINES

Objective: With the advancement in nanotechnology, it is imperative to unearth its applications in medicine. Present investigation deals with the copper nanoparticles biosynthesizing capability of the leaves of medicinally important plant, Camellia sinensis.Methods: The phytosynthesized CuNPs were characterized by EDX, NTA, XRD, SEM, TEM and FTIR analysis. In the current study, we have made attempts to exploit the anticancer ability of the copper nanoparticles against HT-29 colon cancer, MCF 7 breast cancer and MOLT-4 leukemia cancer cell lines via SRB assay. We also carried out the synergistic activity with standard drug Adriamycin (ADR).Results: The synthesis of CuNPs was confirmed using EDX analysis where the presence of a strong optical absorption peak was observed at 1 keV, which is typical for the absorption of metallic copper nanoparticles. According to the results obtained, CuNPs showed good antiproliferative results in a dose dependant manner on HT-29 and MCF-7 cell lines, with 80 µg/ml concentration giving the best result. The synergistic effect of CuNPs+ADR was even better than that of CuNPs alone on all the cell lines. The synergism drug combinations showed highly responsive results on the leukemia cell line compared to individual drugs.Conclusion: Among all the treatments and cell lines studied, the most favorable and responsive antiproliferative impact was recorded for CuNPs+ADR combination treatment at 40µg/ml concentration on MCF-7 breast cancer cell line.Keywords: CuNPs, Camellia sinensis, Anticancer, Sulforhodamine B assay, HT-29, MCF-7, MOLT-4

A study to compare the diagnostic accuracy of GeneXpert MTB/RIF/assay and its comparison with liquid culture in clinically suspected cases of genital tuberculosis attending outpatient department of tertiary center

Background: Tuberculosis is a major health issue globally despite a declining trend in mortality with effective diagnosis and treatment, an estimated 10.4 million persons developing active TB each year with 1.33 million deaths. Objective of this study was to evaluate role of GeneXpert MTB/RIF/assay in diagnosis of female genital tuberculosis in suspected cases of tuberculosis.Methods: It was a cross sectional study done in department of obstetrics and gynecology in S. N. Medical college Agra for a period of 2 year (July 2017 to October 2019). 70 cases were selected from OPD of department of obstetrics and gynecology, S. N. Medical College Agra who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria after taking proper consent. In all selected cases endometrial biopsy sample was taken using endometrial biopsy curette in premenstrual period. All samples of endometrial biopsy were taken under all aseptic precaution from both corneal ends, anterior and posterior wall and lower part of uterus using endometrial biopsy curette and sample was collected in two separate sterile vials having normal saline and was sent for GeneXpert MTB/RIF/assay and liquid culture simultaneously.Results: Out of total 70 clinically suspected cases of female genital tuberculosis in between 20-45 years of age cough with expectoration 94% was the most common respiratory symptom followed by fever 81%, weight loss 56% and anorexia 54%. Prevalence of genital tuberculosis in active pulmonary tuberculosis patients was 30%. Irregular menstruation, vaginal discharge and pelvic pain were present in 69%, 60% and 52% patients respectively.Conclusions: The overall sensitivity of CBNAAT was 22% and specificity was 77%. The overall sensitivity of liquid culture was 28% and specificity was 71%

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravenous bolus versus intravenous infusion of iron sucrose in pregnant women with severe iron deficiency anemia

Background: Objective of present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravenous bolus iron sucrose for iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy during second and third trimester women presenting at S.N. medical college, Agra.Methods: It was a prospective controlled trial and study was carried out in Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, S.N. medical college, Agra in the year 2014-2016. 100Pregnant women with proved iron deficiency anemia having hemoglobin between 4-9gm/dl was included in this study. Total Iron deficit was calculated by standard formula. Target haemoglobin was 11gm/dl. Iron sucrose was administered by intravenous bolus and intravenous infusion techniques. Hemoglobin was repeated at 2 weeks, 4 weeks and 8 weeks after the last dose of intravenous iron sucroseResults: In Group A (bolus group n=50) 22 women had gestational age >24-28weeks and 20 women gestational age >18-24 weeks, with Mean gestational age of 24.36±3.78 weeks. In Group B (infusion group n=50) most of the patients 24 (48%) had gestational age >24-28 weeks, 18 (36%) had gestational age >18-24 weeks, with Mean gestational age of 24.94±3.51 weeks. Target hemoglobin was achieved in group A in all 50 (100%) cases and in group B in 49 (98%) cases. There were no allergic reactions.Conclusions: This study showed a significant improvement in the hemoglobin of the patients after receiving intravenous bolus and intravenous infusion of iron sucrose. Patients achieved the target hemoglobin of 11gm/dl. Both therapies are safe, effective and faster acting for the treatment of iron deficiency anaemia during pregnancy. The bolus push technique is more convenient to women and care provider, less time consuming as well as cost effective

Effectiveness of UV-Visible Spectroscopy (with Multi-Mode Plate Reader) and ATR-FTIR for the Discrimination of Black Marker Inks

In the ambit of Forensic examination of the questioned documents, writing instruments often serve as an essential tool in disclosing the legitimacy of a document. In the present study, a total of 18 marker samples including 9 permanent and 9 whiteboard (commonly known as dry erase) markers of black color of different brands were purchased from the local market of district Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India. UV-Visible spectroscopy with Multi-Mode Plate Reader and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy were used for the discrimination of samples. In the case of permanent marker inks, peaks near 390-405 nm and at 570-585 nm were found to be more prominent and differentiating than that of the whiteboard marker inks. Qualitative comparative analysis of the permanent and the whiteboard black marker ink samples showed 97.2% and 91.6% DP respectively based on their UV-Vis. spectral responses. FTIR spectroscopy of whiteboard markers confirmed the presence of characteristic peak at 1743 cm-1 (C=O stretch) together with a doublet in the region 2920-2850 cm-1 corresponding to asymmetric and symmetric C-H stretch in almost all the whiteboard marker inks, whereas in case of permanent marker inks the former peak 1743 cm-1 was completely absent and the later appeared as a single peak around 2900 cm-1. The results obtained from ATR-FTIR was analyzed using multivariate techniques such as PCA and DFA. PCA was used for the segregation of samples into different groups, whereas DFA was used for the discrimination and classification of marker ink samples. DFA provided a correct classification of 88.9% of the marker ink samples analyzed by FTIR. It is concluded that Multi Mode Plate Reader can be used as a substantial tool for the discrimination of marker inks and was found to be fast and cost effective with high throughput. Moreover, ATR-FTIR results gave some additional information related to the chemical composition of the samples and provided better discrimination when coupled with chemometrics

Utjecaj jednokratne intravenske primjene ofloksacina na kinetiku raspodjele meloksikama u koza.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of ofloxacin (10 mg/kg) on the pharmacokinetics of meloxicam (0.5 mg/kg) in goats, when administered concurrently by intravenous route. Meloxicam concentration in plasma was measured using HPLC assay. The pharmacokinetics of meloxicam were best described by the two-compartment open model. Following concurrent administration of meloxicam and ofloxacin, the mean plasma level of meloxicam was only found to be significantly higher (P<0.05) at 15 min compared to its alone administration. Statistical analysis of data revealed that there were no statistically significant differences in PK parameters between the two treatments, except K21. Therefore, the results of the present study suggest that concurrent administration of ofl oxacin and meloxicam in goats does not require any adjustment in dosage regimens. Based on PK determinants, meloxicam may be administered by i.v. route at 0.86 and 0.65 mg/kg, as loading and maintenance doses respectively, and is to be repeated at 8 h intervals.Istražen je učinak ofloksacina (10 mg/kg) na farmakokinetiku meloksikama (0,5 mg/kg) u koza pod uvjetima istodobne intravenske primjene. Koncentracija meloksikama u plazmi utvrđena je visokotlačnom tekućinskom kromatografijom. Kao najbolji model za opis njegove farmakokinetike korišten je otvoreni model s dvama odjeljcima. Istodobnom primjenom meloksikama i ofloksacina, srednja razina meloksikama u plazmi bila je statistički značajno viša (P<0,05) samo 15 minuta u usporedbi s primjenom samog meloksikama. Statistička analiza podataka pokazala je da između dva načina primjene ne postoje značajne razlike farmakokinetičkih pokazatelja, osim za K21. Rezultati istraživanja pokazuju da kod koza doziranje ofloksacina i meloksikama prilikom njihove istovremene primjene ne treba mijenjati. Na temelju farmakokinetičkih pokazatelja, meloksikam se može primijeniti intravenski u početnoj dozi od 0,86 mg/kg, te u dozi za održavanje od 0,65 mg/ kg, uz ponavljanje u vremenskim razmacima od 8 sati

On-chip infrared sensors: redefining the benefits of scaling

Infrared (IR) spectroscopy is widely recognized as a gold standard technique for chemical and biological analysis. Traditional IR spectroscopy relies on fragile bench-top instruments located in dedicated laboratory settings, and is thus not suitable for emerging field-deployed applications such as in-line industrial process control, environmental monitoring, and point-of-care diagnosis. Recent strides in photonic integration technologies provide a promising route towards enabling miniaturized, rugged platforms for IR spectroscopic analysis. It is therefore attempting to simply replace the bulky discrete optical elements used in conventional IR spectroscopy with their on-chip counterparts. This size down-scaling approach, however, cripples the system performance as both the sensitivity of spectroscopic sensors and spectral resolution of spectrometers scale with optical path length. In light of this challenge, we will discuss two novel photonic device designs uniquely capable of reaping performance benefits from microphotonic scaling. We leverage strong optical and thermal confinement in judiciously designed micro-cavities to circumvent the thermal diffusion and optical diffraction limits in conventional photothermal sensors and achieve a record 104 photothermal sensitivity enhancement. In the second example, an on-chip spectrometer design with the Fellgett's advantage is analyzed. The design enables sub-nm spectral resolution on a millimeter-sized, fully packaged chip without moving parts.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Award 1506605)United States. Department of Energy (Grant DE-NA0002509

Integrated genetic and metabolic landscapes predict vulnerabilities of temozolomide resistant glioblastoma cells.

Metabolic reprogramming and its molecular underpinnings are critical to unravel the duality of cancer cell function and chemo-resistance. Here, we use a constraints-based integrated approach to delineate the interplay between metabolism and epigenetics, hardwired in the genome, to shape temozolomide (TMZ) resistance. Differential metabolism was identified in response to TMZ at varying concentrations in both the resistant neurospheroidal (NSP) and the susceptible (U87MG) glioblastoma cell-lines. The genetic basis of this metabolic adaptation was characterized by whole exome sequencing that identified mutations in signaling pathway regulators of growth and energy metabolism. Remarkably, our integrated approach identified rewiring in glycolysis, TCA cycle, malate aspartate shunt, and oxidative phosphorylation pathways. The differential killing of TMZ resistant NSP by Rotenone at low concentrations with an IC50 value of 5 nM, three orders of magnitude lower than for U87MG that exhibited an IC50 value of 1.8 mM was thus identified using our integrated systems-based approach

Studies on Antimicrobial and Immunomodulatory Effects of Hot Aqueous Extract of Acacia nilotica

Acacia nilotica is a plant species that is almost ubiquitously found in different parts of the world. Various preparations of it have been advocated in folk medicine for the treatment of tuberculosis, leprosy, smallpox, dysentery, cough, ophthalmia, toothache, skin cancer as astringent, antispasmodic, and aphrodisiac since immemorial times. The present study investigates the antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and immunomodulatory potential of hot aqueous extract (HAE) of Acacia nilotica leaves. On dry matter basis, the filtered HAE had a good extraction ratio (33.46%) and was found to have carbohydrates, glycosides, phytosterols, phenolic compounds, saponins, and flavonoids as major constituents. HAE produced dose dependent zone of inhibition against Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, E. coli, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus uberis and fungal pathogens Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus fumigates; however, no antiviral activity was recorded against IBR virus. HAE of A. nilotica revealed both proliferative and inhibitory effects on the rat splenocytes and IL-10 release depending on the dose. Detailed studies involving wide spectrum of bacterial, fungal, and viral species are required to prove or know the exact status of each constituents of the plant extract

Gallbladder reporting and data system (GB-RADS) for risk stratification of gallbladder wall thickening on ultrasonography:an international expert consensus

The Gallbladder Reporting and Data System (GB-RADS) ultrasound (US) risk stratification is proposed to improve consistency in US interpretations, reporting, and assessment of risk of malignancy in gallbladder wall thickening in non-acute setting. It was developed based on a systematic review of the literature and the consensus of an international multidisciplinary committee comprising expert radiologists, gastroenterologists, gastrointestinal surgeons, surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, and pathologists using modified Delphi method. For risk stratification, the GB-RADS system recommends six categories (GB-RADS 0–5) of gallbladder wall thickening with gradually increasing risk of malignancy. GB-RADS is based on gallbladder wall features on US including symmetry and extent (focal vs. circumferential) of involvement, layered appearance, intramural features (including intramural cysts and echogenic foci), and interface with the liver. GB-RADS represents the first collaborative effort at risk stratifying the gallbladder wall thickening. This concept is in line with the other US-based risk stratification systems which have been shown to increase the accuracy of detection of malignant lesions and improve management. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]