Characterization and property analysis of starch from broken parboiled rice

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the primary food consumed by half of the world’s population and it provides 40-60 per cent of energy in daily diet. Production and consumption is anticipated to grow steadily every year. Rice is the rich source of starch, a polysaccharide consisting of amylose and amylopectin. Broken rice is the by-product and a key indicator of rice quality. Nearly 14 per cent of rice is broken while milling and during threshing process. The present study was carried out, to compare the properties and utilization of broken rice with whole rice. Alkaline extraction process is the best extraction method to isolate starch from broken rice that yields upto 70% of total starch with fewer residues. The characterisation of extracted starch from broken parboiled rice was investigated by Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). The quality of starch from broken rice estimated through physical, thermal and physiological properties show a similar property as like starch extracted from rice. It is the colourless and odourless compound which doesn’t affect the colour and flavour of the product to be added that can be easily used in food industries at low cost.  This study paves a way to utilize broken rice, a food industrial by-product and agro residue in an effective manner. Key words: broken rice starch, property analysis, industrial by-product, agro residue, characterization, alkaline extractio

Thiol-vinyl systems as shape memory polymers and novel two-stage reactive systems

The focus of this research was to formulate, characterize and tailor the reaction methodologies and material properties of thiol-vinyl systems to develop novel polymer platforms for a range of engineering applications. Thiol-ene photopolymers were demonstrated to exhibit several advantageous characteristics for shape memory polymer systems for a range of biomedical applications. The thiol-ene shape memory polymer systems were tough and flexible as compared to the acrylic control systems with glass transition temperatures between 30 and 40 C; ideal for actuation at body temperature. The thiol-ene polymers also exhibited excellent shape fixity and a rapid and distinct shape memory actuation response along with free strain recoveries of greater than 96% and constrained stress recoveries of 100%. Additionally, two-stage reactive thiol-acrylate systems were engineered as a polymer platform technology enabling two independent sets of polymer processing and material properties. There are distinct advantages to designing polymer systems that afford two distinct sets of material properties – an intermediate polymer that would enable optimum handling and processing of the material (stage 1), while maintaining the ability to tune in different, final properties that enable the optimal functioning of the polymeric material (stage 2). To demonstrate the range of applicability of the two-stage reactive systems, three specific applications were demonstrated; shape memory polymers, lithographic impression materials, and optical materials. The thiol-acrylate reactions exhibit a wide range of application versatility due to the range of available thiol and acrylate monomers as well as reaction mechanisms such as Michael Addition reactions and free radical polymerizations. By designing a series of non-stoichiometeric thiol-acrylate systems, a polymer network is initially formed via a base catalyzed „click‟ Michael addition reaction. This self-limiting reaction results in a Stage 1 polymer with excess acrylic functional groups within the network. At a later point in time, the photoinitiated, free radical polymerization of the excess acrylic functional groups results in a highly crosslinked, robust material system. By varying the monomers within the system as well as the stoichiometery of thiol to acrylate functional groups, the ability of the two-stage reactive systems to encompass a wide range of properties at the end of both the stage 1 and stage 2 polymerizations was demonstrated. The thiol-acrylate networks exhibited intermediate Stage 1 rubbery moduli and glass transition temperatures that range from 0.5 MPa and -10 ºC to 22 MPa and 22 ºC respectively. The same polymer networks can then attain glass transition temperatures that range from 5 ºC to 195 ºC and rubbery moduli of up to 200 MPa after the subsequent photocure stage. Two-stage reactive polymer composite systems were also formulated and characterized for thermomechanical and mechanical properties. Thermomechanical analysis showed that the fillers resulted in a significant increase in the modulus at both stage 1 and stage 2 polymerizations without a significant change in the glass transition temperatures (Tg). The two-stage reactive matrix composite formed with a hexafunctional acrylate matrix and 20 volume % silica particles showed a 125% increase in stage 1 modulus and 101% increase in stage 2 modulus, when compared with the modulus of the neat matrix. Finally, the two-stage reactive polymeric devices were formulated and designed as orthopedic suture anchors for arthroscopic surgeries and mechanically characterized. The Stage 1 device was designed to exhibit properties ideal for arthroscopic delivery and device placement with glass transition temperatures 25 – 30 °C and rubbery moduli ~ 95 MPa. The subsequent photopolymerization generated Stage 2 polymers designed to match the local bone environment with moduli ranging up to 2 GPa. Additionally, pull-out strengths of 140 N were demonstrated and are equivalent to the pull-strengths achieved by other commercially available suture anchors

Lifestyle Choices and Societal Behavior Changes as Local Climate Strategy

The Asia-Pacific region is witnessing rapid economic growth. Along with rising incomes, the lifestyles of the large middle class are moving quickly towards a buy-and-discard consumer model that involves carbon-intensive products and services. These increase dependency on the Earth's finite natural resources and simultaneously produces waste, putting a significant strain on the environment. Such lifestyles, coupled with scarce resources and frequent natural hazards associated with climate change, pose serious threats to the future of the planet. Developed countries with high footprint per capita are under pressure to adjust their lifestyles that respect the Earths' carrying capacity. As far as countries in the Asia and Pacific region are concerned, mere technological solutions such as improving production efficiency will not be adequate to address climate change; a paradigm shift to more resource-efficient and low-carbon lifestyles, that promote inclusive and efficient consumption is the need of the hour. Several examples of good practices and community initiatives can be found around the world, but these have yet to be brought to the mainstream in order to achieve tangible results. Governments and policy makers in the Asia-Pacific can join hands with businesses and civil society to accelerate this transition - from a consumption-oriented economic paradigm, to a more sustainable way of production and consumption. This paper attempts to identify lifestyle changes at the individual level, and behavioral changes at the community level that could offer high carbon abatement potential. It also provides some good practices of public policies and policy recommendations that can be pivotal in making a business case of low-carbon and eco-efficient lifestyles, strengthening collective awareness, and influencing public decision-making in developing countries in Asia

The True Cost of School Lunch: Assessing the Efficacy of School Nutrition Policy

Despite improvements in the school food environment, overall childhood obesity rates continue to rise with vast disparities between race/ethnic groups. The modern obesogenic environment experienced by children is composed of elements from school, the home, and the neighborhood. Signals from each of these locations encourage obesity-inducing behaviors. However, schools are the primary target of regulation because they receive federal funding, include set schedules, and are easily observable. The implementation of the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act in 2010 (HHFKA) was somewhat successful in improving consumption behaviors in the school environment, particularly for children in poverty. However, it did not impact the overall risk for childhood obesity and significant disparities remain. I propose an intervention that targets schools that do not satisfy current federal requirements, combining an enhanced version of HHFKA with observation of neighborhood and family characteristics. I hypothesize that improved school nutrition policy will mainly reach children with a familial history of obesity and children in poverty. However, I do not believe that it will reduce the overall rate of childhood obesity significantly. Should results of this study confirm my hypothesis, additional research should consider neighborhood-level interventions that improve access to healthful foods and culture-specific family-level interventions. Otherwise, policy makers should build on the HHFKA, whilst adopting recommended improvements

Prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetic patients at Tertiary Hospital, Bangalore, India.

Diabetic retinopathy is a common microvascular complication seen in diabetic patients. The global prevalence is estimated to be 22.27 %.(1) Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetic patients visiting our institute – Karnataka institute of endocrinology and research. Furthermore, we evaluated the severity of diabetic retinopathy and factors associated with diabetic retinopathy like gender and age group.   Methods: A total of 5,363 diabetic patients attending the vitreoretina OPD at our Institute from November 1st, 2022 to October 31st, 2023 were included in our study. Data was collected using a questionnaire and a detailed dilated examination was done by an ophthalmologist (vitreoretina specialist).     Result: A total of 5,363 diabetic patients were included in the study.The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was 30.84 % (95% CL: 29.66-32.12). Among 5,363 patients, 3705 patients had no diabetic retinopathy (69.15%), 812 had mild NPDR (15.14%), 438 had moderate NPDR (8.16%), 152 had severe NPDR (2.83%) and 252 patients had PDR (4.69 %). The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was higher in males (34.82%) compared to females (25.01%). The odds ratio was 1.60. The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was higher in age group above 45 years. Conclusion: The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in our study was 30.84%, higher than global figures. Screening of all diabetic patients regularly and good glycemic control should be an integral part of diabetic care management to reduce the burden of diabetic retinopathy. &nbsp

Fabrication and Optimization of Ni Superalloy Inconel 600 Microtruss Materials

Microtruss materials are multifunctional cellular hybrids composed of an interconnected arrangement of internal struts that can offer enhanced strength and stiffness at low densities. This study looks at the potential of Ni-based superalloys as microtruss materials. The potential of using the in-situ plastic strain imparted during stretch forming to grain boundary engineer the internal struts of Inconel 600 (IN600) cellular hybrids was also explored. In order to examine this question, a combination of experimental and finite element (FE) methods were employed. The non-uniform plastic deformation imparted to the microtruss struts during fabrication was modeled by FE and the local changes in grain boundary character in the fabricated trusses were mapped by electron backscattered diffraction.This study also examined the distribution of plastic strain over the microtruss architecture. A mechanical press with various pin geometries was employed to experimentally validate the FE models. Standard pin geometry results in substantially non-uniform plastic strain, which limits the maximum formability of the starting sheet material. Importantly, pins designed with tapers and spheres were shown to impart plastic strain along the entire length of the microtruss. This opened up possibility of new design strategies for facilitating grain boundary engineering over the entire truss. It may also present opportunities for enhancing the energy absorption performance of microtruss materials.Finally, this study examined the mechanical properties of IN600 microtrusses, in particular focusing on the significance of strut end constraints in determining the overall mechanical performance. While it is straightforward to analytically determine the inelastic buckling resistance of plastically deformed struts, there is no simple way to determine the rotational end constraint of the struts deformed to varying truss angles. It was seen that end constraint rigidity k could be determined using a FE-based bifurcation analysis and the value of k was architecture dependent. Ph.D

Green synthesis of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) and its application on degradation of triclosan

The widespread use of triclosan (TCS) across the globe poses a substantial threat to both human well-being and the ecosystem. This necessitates the development of eco-friendly adsorption techniques to address triclosan contamination in wastewater. This research aims to develop novel eco-friendly synthesis method using Syzygium jambos (SJ) leaf extract to produce small-sized Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles (MSNs) by varying surfactant to silica ratio. Different ratios such as 1:50, 1:100, and 1:200 (1 mL of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) is equivalent to cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) in mg) were explored without chemical stabilising agents or alcohol diluents. The synthesized materials were named as MSN1, MSN2, and MSN3. Characterisation studies using Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) showed that MSN3 exhibited smallest size of 30 ± 5nm. The physical, chemical and morphological properties were analysed for the materials using X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Zeta potential (ZP), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Notably, the developed nanomaterial demonstrated noteworthy stability with a ZP of −33.1 mV and an impressive surface area of 545 m2/g. FT-IR peaks of biosorbent were obtained at 460, 800, and 975 1/cm. This confirms the existence of (Si–O–Si) bonds. The XRD results reveals that it possess amorphous nature of silica without any impurities. N2 adsorption-desorption studies yielded a pore radius of 16.8 Å and volume of pores are 0.890 cc/g indicating its potential as an adsorbent and its utility for material functionalisation. The developed biosorbent exhibited enhanced adsorption properties for removal of triclosan from synthetic wastewater with 76 % removal at 0.5g/L dose of adsorbent

The Severity of diabetic retinopathy and its relationship with duration of diabetes and hypertension

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the risk factors affecting diabetic retinopathy and its severity in type 2 diabetic patients about the duration of diabetes and hypertension. Methods: A retrospective chart analysis was done of patient data collected from the patients visiting our tertiary institute (Karnataka Institute of Endocrinology and Research) from November 1st, 2022 to October 31st, 2023. In these diabetic patients, the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy and its severity concerning the duration of diabetes and hypertension was evaluated. Diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema (DME) were classified based on the International Clinical Disease Severity Scale for Diabetic Retinopathy (DR). Result: 5363 was the total number of diabetic patients included in this study. The prevalence of Diabetic retinopathy(DR) was 13.95% with diabetes for less than 5 years, 37% with diabetes for 5 to 10 years and 58.74% for more than 10 years. In diabetic patients with associated hypertension, the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) was 36 % as compared to 28.4% without associated hypertension. In multivariate analysis for factors associated with diabetic retinopathy, the odds ratio (OR) was 3.61% (95% CI, 3.08 – 4.23, P – Value < 0.001) in patients with diabetes between 5 – 10 years and in patients with diabetes above 10 years the odds ratio (OR) was 8.69 (95% CI, 7.36 – 10.26, P – Value < 0.001) as compared to patients with diabetes < 5 years. The odds ratio (OR) for developing DR was 1.19 (95% CI, 1.03 – 1.37, P – Value 0.015) in patients with diabetes and hypertension as compared to diabetic patients without hypertension. Conclusion: The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy is higher in diabetic patients with longer duration of diabetes and diabetic patients with associated hypertension. It is important to evaluate all diabetic patients for diabetic retinopathy and maintain good glycemic and hypertensive control. Managing comorbidities along with diabetes reduces the prevalence and complications of diabetic retinopathy