A clinical and microbiological study of gall stone disease

INTRODUCTION: Cholecystitis and cholelithiasis with its complications dominate the disease of the biliary tract. In Asian countries, the prevalence of gallstone disease ranges from 3% to 10%. Cholelithiasis is an increasing problem in India due to westernization of our food culture. Although this disease has a low mortality rate, its economic and health impact is significant due to its high morbidity. The most common bacteria of symptomatic cholelithiasis isolated worldwide were E.coli followed by Klebsiella, Salmonella and Shigella. There is relatively sparse data, both local & international on the prevalence of the infection in patients undergoing cholecystectomy. The conservative & prophylactic treatment therefore is based on best guess basis. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study was done to determine the frequency of common bacteria and their antibiotic sensitivity in patients with symptomatic cholelithiasis. That Antibiotic must be a part of empirical regime as it will help in reducing the morbidity associated with symptomatic cholelithiasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective study was conducted at Department of Surgery, Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, Tirunelveli. Total 50 cases were selected and operated by open or laparoscopic cholecystectomy were included in this study. They presented with symptomatic cholelithiasis. Patients with history of acute cholecystitis, acute acalculus cholecystitis, empyema gall bladder, mucocele gall bladder, history of jaundice, stones and or dilated common bile duct and patients who were not willing for surgery were excluded from the study. Ultrasound was the main tool for pre-operative diagnosis. During cholecystectomy, bile was aspirated and specimens were sent to laboratory for microbiological examination. The results were recorded on a proforma. RESULTS: Culture reports of the bile revealed organism in 23 cases (46%) while it showed no growth of organism in 27 cases (54%). E.Coli was the most common organism in 11 patients (22%) followed by Klebseilla 6 (12%), Proteus vulgaris 3 (6%), Salmonella 2(4%) and Shigella 1 (2%). Out of 23 cases with microbial growth in bile, 17 were from pigment stones and 6 were from cholesterol stones. On culture and sensitivity test, all the 5 isolated bacteria showed sensitivity to Cefuroxime, Ceftriaxone and Ciprofloxacin in more than 50% cases, while all the five bacteria showed resistance to amoxicillin in more than 50% cases. CONCLUSION: The most common bacteria of symptomatic cholelithiasis are Escherichia coli and Klebsiella followed by Proteus vulgaris, Salmonella and Shigella. These bacteria showed maximum sensitivity to cefuroxime and ceftriaxone. The empirical antibiotics used for the treatment of symptomatic gall stone disease must cover these common bacteria. Ceftriaxone and/or Cefuroxime must be a part of empirical regime as it will help in reducing the morbidity associated with symptomatic cholelithiasis

Synthesis of 1-Substituted-4-(Pyridin-4-yl) [1,2,4] Triazolo [4,3-a] Quinazolin-5(4H)-ones as a New Class of H1- Antihistaminic Agents

Purpose: To synthesize a new series of 1-substituted-4-(pyridin-4-yl) [1,2,4] triazolo [4,3-a]quinazolin- 5(4H)-ones and evaluate them for H1-antihistaminic activity with negligible side effects in guinea pigs.Methods: The synthesized compounds were characterized by Infrared spectroscopy (IR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS) data. The purity of the compounds was determined by elemental analysis. The antihistaminic activity of the compounds was evaluated in guinea pigs by histamine-induced bronchoconstriction method.Results: Among the series, 1-methyl-4-(pyridin-4-yl) [1,2,4] triazolo [4,3-a] quinazolin-5(4H)-one (S5) was the most potent with 72.85 % protection and its potency was comparable to that of the reference, chlorpheniramine maleate (70.09 %). Interestingly, the sedative property of compound S5 was negligible (5.09 %) when compared to chlorpheniramine maleate (29.58 %).Conclusion: Compound S5 can serve as a lead molecule for further development into a new class of H1-antihistaminic agents.Keywords: Quinazolin-5-ones, Antihistaminic activity, Histamine, Bronchoconstrictio

Assessment of groundwater quality using spatial variation technique

Groundwater management is a potential solution to the global water crisis. We assessed the groundwater quality at Mettupalayam, Tamil Nadu, India, in order to determine its suitability for drinking. Groundwater samples were collected and their physicochemical characteristics such as pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total hardness (TH), total dissolved solids (TDS), Ca2+, Mg2+, SO42- and Cl- were determined and benchmarked with standard drinking water requirements. The variations of these parameters were presented spatially. The groundwater is generally brackish and hard; and of low alkalinity and high salinity. Consequently, the groundwater in most parts of the study area is unsuitable for drinking without treatment. It is recommended that point and nonpoint sources of groundwater pollution at Mettupalayam should be identified, monitored and managed in order to protect the groundwater

The Effects of Nano Fillers on Space Charge Distribution in Cross-Linked Polyethylene

The performance of polymeric insulation will be distorted by the accumulation of space charge. This will lead to local electric field enhancement within the insulation material that can cause degradation and electrical breakdown. The introduction of nanofillers in the insulation material is expected to reduce the space charge effect. However, there is a need to analyze potential nanofillers to determine the best option. Therefore, the objective of this research work is to examine two types of nanofillers for Cross-Linked Polyethylene (XLPE); Zinc Oxide (ZnO) and Acrylic (PA40). The effects of these nanofillers were measured using the Pulsed-Electro Acoustic (PEA) method. The development of space charge is observed at three different DC voltage levels in room temperature. The results show that hetero charge distribution is dominant in pure XLPE materials. The use of both nanofiller types have significant effect in decreasing the space charge accumulation. With nanofillers, the charge profile changed to homo-charge distribution, suppressing the space charge formation. Comparisonbetween both the nanofillers show that PA40 has better suppression performance than ZnO

Novel Proposed Work for Empirical Word Searching in Cloud Environment

People's lives have become much more convenient as a result of the development of cloud storage. The third-party server has received a lot of data from many people and businesses for storage. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the user's data is protected from prying eyes. In the cloud environment, searchable encryption technology is used to protect user information when retrieving data. The versatility of the scheme is, however, constrained by the fact that the majority of them only offer single-keyword searches and do not permit file changes.A novel empirical multi-keyword search in the cloud environment technique is offered as a solution to these issues. Additionally, it prevents the involvement of a third party in the transaction between data holder and user and guarantees integrity. Our system achieves authenticity at the data storage stage by numbering the files, verifying that the user receives a complete ciphertext. Our technique outperforms previous analogous schemes in terms of security and performance and is resistant to inside keyword guessing attacks.The server cannot detect if the same set of keywords is being looked for by several queries because our system generates randomized search queries. Both the number of keywords in a search query and the number of keywords in an encrypted document can be hidden. Our searchable encryption method is effective and protected from the adaptive chosen keywords threat at the same time

Freeze-thaw Resistance of an Alluvial Soil Stabilized with EcoSand and Asbestos-free Fiber Powder

Stabilization of poor soils subjected to large daily temperature variations requires careful selection of suitable stabilizer for improvement of such soils. This study investigated the freeze-thaw resistance of an alluvial soil stabilized with EcoSand and asbestos-free fiber powder (AFP). Physical and mechanical properties of the soil were determined. The soil sample was stabilized with 5 variants of equal mixtures of the EcoSand and AFP in proportions of 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10%, with 1% sodium silicate and 1% fly ash, by weight of the soil. UCS tests were conducted before and after three freeze-thaw cycles, while keeping the sample at 0ºC for 8 hours and later at 30ºC for 8 hours for each cycle. It was found that the 8% EcoSand + AFP with 1% sodium silicate and 1% fly ash content provided an optimized increase of the freeze-thaw resistance of the soil. The use of a mixture of EcoSand and AFP as a soil stabilizer for regions of the world experiencing large temperature variation has the potential to improve the resistance of sand to freezing and thawing

DESIGN, FORMULATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF TENOFOVIR MICROEMULSION AS ORAL DRUG DELIVERY

ABSTRACT The aim of the present research was to design, formulate and evaluate Tenofovir Microemulsion. Tenofovir, a Nucleotide Reverse transcriptase inhibitor belongs to the category of anti retro viral drug. The oral bioavailability of Tenofovir is 25% due to its poor water solubility. An attempt was made to enhance solubility by formulating oral Microemulsion of Tenofovir. The solubility of Tenofovir in various Oils, Surfactants and Cosurfactants were checked to optimize the components of Microemulsion. Pseudo ternary diagrams were constructed to identify the area of Microemulsion region. A Microemulsion system with oleic acid as Oil phase, Tween 20 as surfactant and Ethanol as Cosurfactant was developed for oral delivery of Tenofovir. To achieve the objective of present study, Microemulsion formulations were prepared by using different ratios of Oil, Surfactant: Cosurfactant and Water. The prepared formulations of Tenofovir were characterized for thermo dynamic stability studies, pH, transparency, viscosity, drug content and in vitro drug release. Particle size and Zeta potential of optimized formulation were found to be 54.30nm and -5.61mV. Among four formulations, TME4 shows highest drug release of 86.88%. The invitro release was found to follow Non-fickian diffusion mechanism. These results demonstrate the potential use of Microemulsion for improving the Bioavailability of poor water soluble compound Tenofovir. Key words: Phase diagrams, Centrifugation, Kinetic models, Stability. INTRODUCTION Successful oral delivery of drugs has always remained challenge to the drug delivery field, since approximately 40% of the new drug candidates have poor water solubility associated with low bioavailability. Lipidbased formulations have attracted great deal of attention to improve the oral bioavailability of poorly water soluble drugs. In fact, the most novel approach is to incorporate lipophilic or hydrophilic drugs into inert lipid vehicles such as oils, surfactants through formulating in the form of microemulsions, self-emulsifying formulations. These lead to increased solubilization further increase in therapeutic efficacy. A microemulsion is a system of water, oil and an amphiphile which is a single optically isotropic and thermodynamically stable liquid solution. Microemulsions (μE) are usually in the range of 10-100 nm. These homogeneous systems, which can be prepared over a wide range of surfactant concentration and oil to water ratio, are all fluids of low viscosit

POTENTIAL OF URAI MATHIRAI (PEDIATRIC SIDDHA FORMULATION) FOR THE PROPHYLAXIS AND MANAGEMENT OF COVID-19 IN CHILDREN

The World Health Organization (WHO) data proposes that 8.5% of reported COVID-19 cases belong to pediatric population who are aged less than 18 years. Supportive care alone is recommended in asymptomatic, mild, or moderate pediatric COVID-19 patients by the panel of pediatric infectious diseases physicians and pharmacists from 20 geographically diverse North American institutions. This review article focuses on the prophylactic and therapeutic potential of Urai mathirai in the management of pediatric COVID-19 patients. The literature was looked, in databases such as Medline/PubMed Central/PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Web of science, Directory of open access journals (DOAJ), and reference lists to distinguish published manuscripts relevant to the use of Urai mathirai to prevent or treat COVID-19 in children. The herbs found in Urai Mathirai and their bioactive phytoconstituents possess antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, bronchodilatory and other pharmacological effects relevant to the management of signs and manifestations of COVID-19. The viability of Urai Mathirai in the prophylaxis and management of pediatric COVID-19 patients could further be established by future clinical studies

The protective effects of social bonding on behavioral and pituitary-adrenal axis reactivity to chronic mild stress in prairie voles.

Positive social interactions may protect against stress. This study investigated the beneficial effects of pairing with a social partner on behaviors and neuroendocrine function in response to chronic mild stress (CMS) in 13 prairie vole pairs. Following 5 days of social bonding, male and female prairie voles were exposed to 10 days of CMS (mild, unpredictable stressors of varying durations, for instance, strobe light, white noise, and damp bedding), housed with either the social partner (paired group) or individually (isolated group). Active and passive behavioral responses to the forced swim test (FST) and tail-suspension test (TST), and plasma concentrations of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone, were measured in all prairie voles following the CMS period. Both female and male prairie voles housed with a social partner displayed lower durations of passive behavioral responses (immobility, a maladaptive behavioral response) in the FST (mean ± SEM; females: 17.3 ± 5.4 s; males: 9.3 ± 4.6 s) and TST (females: 56.8 ± 16.4 s; males: 40.2 ± 11.3 s), versus both sexes housed individually (females, FST: 98.6 ± 12.9 s; females, TST: 155.1 ± 19.3 s; males, FST: 92.4 ± 14.1 s; males, TST: 158.9 ± 22.0 s). Female (but not male) prairie voles displayed attenuated plasma stress hormones when housed with a male partner (ACTH: 945 ± 24.7 pg/ml; corticosterone: 624 ± 139.5 ng/ml), versus females housed individually (ACTH: 1100 ± 23.2 pg/ml; corticosterone: 1064 ± 121.7 ng/ml). These results may inform understanding of the benefits of social interactions on stress resilience. Lay Summary: Social stress can lead to depression. The study of social bonding and stress using an animal model will inform understanding of the protective effects of social bonds. This study showed that social bonding in a rodent model can protect against behavioral responses to stress, and may also be protective against the elevation of stress hormones. This study provides evidence that bonding and social support are valuable for protecting against stress in humans