Fabrication and Excellent Dielectric Performance of Exfoliated Graphite Sheets

In the present investigation, exfoliated graphite sheets were obtained from the thermo-chemical treatment of natural graphite flakes. In this process, the graphite expands almost 300-350 times of its original volume and takes the shape of worms. These worms can be pressed or rolled into any desired shape without any binder. The exfoliated graphite sheets show excellent electrical properties i.e. high dielectric constant (ε = 6.374 ×107) and comparatively low dielectric loss (tanδ = 138) across the frequency in the range 50 Hz to 30 MHz and temperature in the range 40-300 °C. The products developed from exfoliated graphite can have very good sealing applications in industrial areas, especially for gaskets in the automobile industries

Fabrication and Excellent Dielectric Performance of Exfoliated Graphite Sheets

In the present investigation, exfoliated graphite sheets were obtained from the thermo-chemical treatment of natural graphite flakes. In this process, the graphite expands almost 300-350 times of its original volume and takes the shape of worms. These worms can be pressed or rolled into any desired shape without any binder. The exfoliated graphite sheets show excellent electrical properties i.e. high dielectric constant (ε = 6.374 ×107) and comparatively low dielectric loss (tanδ = 138) across the frequency in the range 50 Hz to 30 MHz and temperature in the range 40-300 °C. The products developed from exfoliated graphite can have very good sealing applications in industrial areas, especially for gaskets in the automobile industries

Dydrogesterone usage pattern in India: a knowledge, attitude and practice survey among Indian gynaecologists

Background: There is limited data about the knowledge, perception, and routine clinical usage pattern of dydrogesterone among medical practitioners in India. Therefore, the present survey was undertaken to assess attitudes and perception/practices of obstetrician and gynaecologists towards use of dydrogesterone in the real-life setting.Methods: Total 1168 gynaecologists across India participated in the KAP survey. Sixteen questions which explored indications, dosages, duration, efficacy, tolerability and comparison were asked and results were expressed as percentages.Results: Dydrogesterone has been marketed since the 1960s and has been extensively used worldwide for the treatment of threatened miscarriage (TM) and recurrent miscarriage (RM). Dydrogesterone is approved for hormone replacement therapy (HRT), as well as pregnancy and non-pregnancy-related conditions where there is a progesterone deficiency. In the present survey, dydrogesterone 10 mg twice daily was found to be the most commonly preferred dosage by 823 (73%) gynaecologists. Poor tolerability, compliance and lower efficacy were reported as major limitations of micronized progesterone by 68% of doctors. The average clinical pregnancy rate noted at 12 weeks after Dydrogesterone usage was around 40% by majority of the doctors. However, 30% of doctors noted more than 40% of clinical pregnancy rate after dydrogesterone usage. Almost 35% of doctors reported that the average live birth rate noticed after dydrogesterone usage is around 40%.Conclusions: The present KAP survey highlights that the effectiveness and the tolerability of dydrogesterone is valued by Indian gynaecologists which accounts for its robust clinical utility

Efficacy and safety of ferric carboxymaltose in Indian pregnant women with iron deficiency anemia

Background: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a significant problem worldwide particularly in women. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of intravenous ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) in in Indian pregnant women with anemia.Method: This was a single centre, prospective, observational, open label, clinical study at real life scenario with 4 weeks follow up. Fifty pregnant women with IDA and visiting to the Radhakrishna multispecialty hospital, Bangalore, for antenatal care were enrolled for the study. IV FCM was given as per the standard protocol. Change in the laboratory parameters such as hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), packed cell volume (PCV) level at baseline and after 4 weeks of completion of parenteral iron therapy was recorded and fatigue score was assessed. The pregnant women were monitored for the adverse events. Results: All pregnant women received a single IV infusion of FCM 1000 mg. A significant increase in the hemoglobin of 2.37±0.51 g/dl (p<0.001) was noted at 4 weeks, MCV rise of 19.89±21.94 (p<0.001) was noted at 4 weeks, MCHC rise was of 2.56±5.65 and PCV rise was of 4.45±2.67 (p<0.011) at over 4 weeks. Significant improvement in fatigue score was observed at 4 weeks after single FCM infusion. No adverse effects were observed in any pregnant woman throughout the duration of the study.Conclusions: This real-life observational study highlights IV FCM is effective in management of IDA in pregnant women and well tolerated. Trial registration number: CTRI/2021/02/030874

Nanocarriers in Tuberculosis treatment: Challenges and delivery strategies

The World Health Organization identifies tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, as a leading infectious killer. Although conventional treatments for TB exist, they come with challenges such as a heavy pill regimen, prolonged treatment duration, and a strict schedule, leading to multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains. The rise of MDR strains endangers future TB control. Despite these concerns, the hunt for an efficient treatment continues. One breakthrough has been the use of nanotechnology in medicines, presenting a novel approach for TB treatment. Nanocarriers, such as lipid nanoparticles, nanosuspensions, liposomes, and polymeric micelles, facilitate targeted delivery of anti-TB drugs. The benefits of nanocarriers include reduced drug doses, fewer side effects, improved drug solubility, better bioavailability, and improved patient compliance, speeding up recovery. Additionally, nanocarriers can be made even more targeted by linking them with ligands such as mannose or hyaluronic acid. This review explores these innovative TB treatments, including studies on nanocarriers containing anti-TB drugs and related patents.LA/P/0101/2020; LA/P/0140/2020;info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Experimental study of effect of pressure on pyrolysis of biomass

Pyrolysis is thermal treatment of solid waste in the absence of an oxidizing agent (in inert atmosphere) which generally yields three products namely pyrolysis-oil (liquid), char (solid residue) and gas. The products obtained in pyrolysis can be further used as energy source. Rice husk and saw dust are considered as solid wastes in this study. The effect of temperature and pressure on pyrolysis was studied in a fixed bed reactor. The experimental runs were performed in nitrogen atmosphere. The temperature was varied from 300°C to 500°C, while the operational pressure was fixed at 4 bar, 7 bar and 10 bar. The products such as solid char, liquid pyrolysis oil and syngas were obtained. The solid char was characterized by CHNS analysis, while the pyrolysis oil was characterized by FTIR analysis

Development of strategies to support home-based exercise adherence after stroke: a Delphi consensus

Objective To develop a set of strategies to enhance adherence to home-based exercises after stroke, and an overarching framework to classify these strategies. Method We conducted a four-round Delphi consensus (two online surveys, followed by a focus group then a consensus round). The Delphi panel consisted of 13 experts from physiotherapy, occupational therapy, clinical psychology, behaviour science and community medicine. The experts were from India, Australia and UK. Results In round 1, a 10-item survey using open-ended questions was emailed to panel members and 75 strategies were generated. Of these, 25 strategies were included in round 2 for further consideration. A total of 64 strategies were finally included in the subsequent rounds. In round 3, the strategies were categorised into nine domains - (1) patient education on stroke and recovery, (2) method of exercise prescription, (3) feedback and supervision, (4) cognitive remediation, (5) involvement of family members, (6) involvement of society, (7) promoting self-efficacy, (8) motivational strategies and (9) reminder strategies. The consensus from 12 experts (93%) led to the development of the framework in round 4. Conclusion We developed a framework of comprehensive strategies to assist clinicians in supporting exercise adherence among stroke survivors. It provides practical methods that can be deployed in both research and clinical practices. Future studies should explore stakeholders' experiences and the cost-effectiveness of implementing these strategies

Fermentation, Isolation, Structure, and antidiabetic activity of NFAT-133 produced by Streptomyces strain PM0324667

Type-2 diabetes is mediated by defects in either insulin secretion or insulin action. In an effort to identify extracts that may stimulate glucose uptake, similar to insulin, a high throughput-screening assay for measuring glucose uptake in skeletal muscle cells was established. During the screening studies to discover novel antidiabetic compounds from microbial resources a Streptomyces strain PM0324667 (MTCC 5543, the Strain accession number at Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh, India), an isolate from arid soil was identified which expressed a secondary metabolite that induced glucose uptake in L6 skeletal muscle cells. By employing bioactivity guided fractionation techniques, a tri-substituted simple aromatic compound with anti-diabetic potential was isolated. It was characterized based on MS and 2D NMR spectral data and identified as NFAT-133 which is a known immunosuppressive agent that inhibits NFAT-dependent transcription in vitro. Our investigations revealed the antidiabetic potential of NFAT-133. The compound induced glucose uptake in differentiated L6 myotubes with an EC50 of 6.3 ± 1.8 μM without activating the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ. Further, NFAT-133 was also efficacious in vivo in diabetic animals and reduced systemic glucose levels. Thus it is a potential lead compound which can be considered for development as a therapeutic for the treatment of type-2 diabetes. We have reported herewith the isolation of the producer microbe, fermentation, purification, in vitro, and in vivo antidiabetic activity of the compound