Effect of Mobiles on Socio-economic Life of Urban Poor

Using a survey of 1774 users and non-users in 84 slums in three metropolitan cities (Delhi, Ahmedabad and Kolkata), we try to understand the impact of mobiles on their social and economic lives. Urban slum dwellers spend significant amounts on communications, both for a first time acquisition of handset and SIM (nearly 40% of the average household earnings per month), as well as on going expenditure. However, a majority of respondents believe that the use of mobiles has led to an improvement in their economic situation and that these benefits are greater than ownership and usage costs. Mobile also appears to change how slum residents interact with each other. Despite reducing face-to-face interactions, mobile usage is associated with stronger social relationships. In comparing users and non-users, we find differences between users and non-users in terms of income, education and other social characteristics. We also find evidence of hierarchies within households, with women far more likely than men to be only infrequent mobile users or not to have access at all. While cost of a handset is the primary barrier to owning a mobile, non-owners report difficulty in using a mobile, clarity of charges for call-plans and information dissemination as other barriers to ownership.

Steroid Pulse Therapy in the Management of Neuro-psychiatric Manifestations in an Atypical Presentation of Typhoid Fever

The Typhoid fever often presents with a variety of clinical symptoms and numerous systemic complications. Neurological complications of enteric fever are relatively insidious and rare and many times late and often undiagnosed complication of typhoid fever which can change the course of illness. This is a case of blood culture-proven typhoid fever with neuropsychiatric manifestations responded well with appropriate antibiotics and steroid pulse therapy (1 gram Methylprednisolone for 3 days)

Parasitic Flux Analysis of Cooled Infrared Detectors for Space Applications

An infrared imager measures radiations emitted by an object in specified spectral bands to determine change in object’s characteristics over a period of time. A typical infrared imager consists of focusing optics and a cryogenically cooled two-dimensional infrared detector array mounted on the cold tip of an active micro-cooler vacuum sealed with an optical window, typically known as integrated detector cooler assembly (IDCA). Detection of feeble radiant flux from the intended target in a narrow spectral band requires a highly sensitive low noise sensor array with high well capacity. However, in practical applications the performance of an infrared imager is limited by the parasitic thermal emissions from optical elements and emissions from IDCA components like vacuum window, Dewar walls which are generally kept at ambient temperature. To optimise the performance of imager it becomes imperative to estimate these parasitic fluxes and take corrective actions to minimise their effects. This paper explains an analytical model developed to estimate parasitic fluxes generated from different components of a long wave infrared imager. Validation of the developed model was carried out by simulations in ZEMAX optical design software using ray trace method after analytical computations in MATLAB

Bioadhesive or Mucoadhesive Drug Delivery System: A Potential Alternative to Conventional Therapy

The term bioadhesive describes materials that bind to biological substrates, such as mucosal membranes and in bioadhesive drug delivery systems, the term bioadhesion is used to describe the bonding or adhesion between a synthetic or natural polymer and soft tissues such as epithelial cells. The bioadhesive drug delivery formulation highlights the fact that readily accessible sites are utilized with the eye, oral cavity and vegina being targeted. The GI tract and the nasal cavity have also been extensively examined as a site for bioadhesive drug delivery. The term mucoadhesion is the subgroup of bioadhesion and in the mucoadhesion formulation attaches with the mucus membrane. The mucoadhesion can be defined as the adhesion between the two materials in which one is biological material and other one is polymeric materials with the help of interfacial forces to increase the residence time. Over the past few decades, mucosal drug delivery has received a great deal of attention. The mucoadhesion drug delivery system is better than the traditional drug delivery systems. Mucoadhesion is a useful strategy for drug delivery systems, such as tablets, patches, gels, liposomes, micro/nanoparticles, nanosuspensions, microemulsions and colloidal dispersions. The mucoadhesion bypasses the first pass metabolism and used for localized delivery of biomolecules such as peptides, proteins and oligonucleotides. Mucoadhesion drug delivery system engages much attention due to their benefits such as prolong retention time, fast uptake and increased bioavailability of active substance. Application of dosage forms to mucosal surfaces may be of benefit to drug molecules not amenable to the oral route, such as those that undergo acid degradation or extensive first-pass metabolism. The mucoadhesive ability of a dosage form is dependent upon a variety of factors, including the nature of the mucosal tissue and the physicochemical properties of the polymeric formulation. This review article aims to provide an overview of the various aspects of mucoadhesion, theories of mucoadhesion, mucoadhesive materials, factors affecting mucoadhesion, evaluating methods, mucoadhesive polymers and herbal drugs. Keywords: Bioadhesive, bioadhesive drug delivery, Mucoadhesion, Patches, Herbal drug

An Overview on Phyto-molecules and Screening Method of Antiurolithiatic Activity

Kidney stones are one of the oldest known and common diseases in the urinary tract system. Kidney stones are a growing global problem. It is also known as Urolithiasis. Lithiasis is a condition where urinary calculus is formed in the kidney and urinary tract. It is a complicated urinary disorder that has gravely troubled the health and quality of human life. It has been associated with an increased risk of end-stage renal failure. Urinary stones affect 10-12% of the population in industrialized countries. There are only a few geographical areas in which the stone disease is rare, e.g., Germany and in the coastal areas of Japan. The etiology of kidney stone is multifactorial. The most common type of kidney stone is calcium oxalate formed at Randall’s plaque on the renal papillary surfaces. The mechanism of stone formation is a complex process which results from several physicochemical events including supersaturation, nucleation, growth, aggregation and retention of urinary stone constituents within tubular cells. These steps are modulated by an imbalance between factors that promote or inhibit urinary crystallization. Currently, there is no satisfactory drug to cure and/or prevent kidney stone recurrences.  Conventional agents are being used to control kidney stone along with lifestyle management.  Medicinal plants are found to be useful in this metabolic disorder from ancient days due to its no or low-toxic nature, easily available in rural areas, cheap; there are fewer chances of recurrence. Thus, further understanding of the pathophysiology of kidney stone formation is a research area to manage urolithiasis using new drugs. Therefore, this review has intended to provide compiled up-to-date information on kidney stone etiology, pathogenesis and prevention approaches and critically review the available literature on various medicinal plants with their antilithiatic activity and screening method of this activity to develop an effective drug to treat the disease. Keywords: Kidney stones, Urolithiasis, Etiology, Calcium oxalate, Pathophysiology, Medicinal plant

study on effects of repeated salbutamol nebulizations on serum potassium levels and QTc on electrocardiogram in children with acute wheeze

Objective: Acute wheeze is a common problem in young children with respiratory disorders. This study emphasizes on whether there are any significant changes in serum potassium levels and QTc interval during repeated salbutamol nebulizations. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted at a tertiary care teaching hospital. The study group comprised of 41 children in the age group of 6 months–12 years. Pediatric asthma score and vital parameters (heart rate, respiratory rate, and SpO2) were recorded at the onset and end of salbutamol nebulizations. Baseline serum potassium levels were taken at the onset and then at the end. An electrocardiogram (ECG) was taken at 1 h and another at 3 h, for those who continued to require repeated nebulizations until then. Results: The mean fall in serum potassium levels after repeated salbutamol nebulizations was 0.3±0.4 (p<0.05). The mean fall after 3, 4, 5, and 6 salbutamol nebulizations was 0.06, 0.44, 0.66, and 0.43 mEq/L, respectively. There were no significant changes in ECG patterns in these children. The mean QTc at 1 h of repeated salbutamol nebulizations was 0.41±0.02 (s) and that after 3 h (for children requiring repeated nebulizations until then) was 0.43±0.01 (s). The mean rise in QTc at 3 h was 0.004 s, which was not statistically significant (p=0.137). Conclusion: We conclude that serum potassium levels should be monitored in children receiving repeated salbutamol nebulizations for acute wheeze

Cloud Computing Security

Cloud computing has become a growing interest for organizations looking to reduce their IT costs by offloading software costs onto 3rd party organizations who offer software-as -a - service, platform-as-a-service, Security is the key for the Cloud success. There are two technologies Multi -tenancy, Virtualization which provides security about cloud computing