Nanogels as nanocarriers for drug delivery: A review

Nanogels are submicron-size aqueous dispersions of water-swollen particles, composed of nano-sized three-dimensional highly cross-linked networks of hydrophilic polymers. An active pharmaceutical agent or therapeutic agent with high or low molecular weight can be easily encapsulated into nanogels that can be delivered to the site of action via various routes, including oral, pulmonary, nasal, parenteral and intraocular routes, among others. Therapeutic agents encapsulated into nanogels improve the therapeutic activity in the biological environment. The application of different nanogels in drug delivery and recent clinical trial studies has been described concisely in this review

Development and integration of soil moisture sensor with drip system for precise irrigation scheduling through mobile phone

Soil moisture sensor is an instrument for quick measurements of soil moisture content in the crop root zone on real time basis. The main objective of this research was development and evaluation of an indigenous sensor for precise irrigation scheduling. The various parts of sensor developed were ceramic cup, acrylic pipe, level sensor, tee, reducer, gland, cork, and end cap. The designed system was successfully tested on okra crop and calibrated with frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) by three methods of irrigation, i.e. check basin, furrow and drip, respectively. The average depth of water depletion in modified tensiometer by these methods was 27 to 35 cm at 50% management allowable depletion (MAD) of field capacity. This depth was useful for the level sensor to be installed inside modified tensiometer for real time irrigation scheduling. The correlation coefficient (R2) between soil moisture content obtained from the developed sensor and FDR was 0.963. Sensor network was integrated with global system for mobile communication (GSM), short message service (SMS) and drip head work to develop an automated irrigation system. This would enable farmers to effectively monitor and control water application in the field by sending command through SMS and receiving pumping status through the mobile phone

Prophylactic, nutritional, seasonal and pathological consideration of Ahara as per Ayurveda

The dietary pattern of human being aimed to maintain good health which came in practice after lot of evaluation including trial and error based consideration. The different culture of human civilization offered number of food preparations which help to promote health through different nutritional value. The traditional science of India Ayurveda also aimed to promote and preserve the health and longevity. The various conceptual belongings of ayurveda play vital role towards achieving this goal and dietary consideration is one of them. Ayurveda believe that the dietary consideration as per desha, kala and prakrirti, etc. not only help to promote health but also cure the diseases. Ahara sometimes also used as a curative measure therefore specific diet pattern recommended as prophylactic approach for the prevention of some common diseases. Good quality food stuffs improve memory, energy, digestive power, intellectual and ojas. This article summarized health benefits of food and various rules of ayurveda related to dietary consideration

Cosmeceutical role of Medicinal plants / Herbs: A Review on commercially available Cosmetic ingredients

Cosmeceuticals are cosmetic products intended to improve physical appearance, health, beauty and skin ailments. Drugs used to control acne, anti-wrinkle effects, protect from sun burn, improves complexation, delayed effect of ageing and improve skin textures, etc. are comes under category of cosmeceuticals. Cosmeceuticals may be synthetic, natural or hybrid depending upon their compositions. Herbal cosmeceuticals are gaining great attention now a day’s due to their wide range of availability and fewer side effects. There are enormous plants and natural ingredients available commercially as cosmeceuticals. Herbal cosmetics originated naturally from plants, sea, rock salt and soil, etc. Generally herbal cosmetics are free from harmful synthetic chemicals and considered safe to use. Many medicinal plants and herbs offers effect like cosmeceuticals and used extensively for same purpose globally. Natural herbs such as; Neem, Kapoor, Henna, Hirda, Behada, Amalaki, Bringaraj, Rosary Pea and Mandor, etc. are used in cosmetic industry for various purpose. This article presented a descriptive review on Herbal cosmeceuticals

Sensor network based irrigation system for real time irrigation scheduling in vegetable crops under different methods of irrigation

Soil moisture sensor based irrigation scheduling is relatively a new concept in India. A soil moisture sensor based wireless irrigation system was designed, developed and tested during the years 2013-15 in vegetable crops, i. e. okra, tomato, brinjal, broccoli, potato, and knol-khol on the research farm of the Precision Farming Development Centre, Water Technology Centre, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India. A network of sensors was integrated with a wireless system having modified tensiometer, level sensor, controller, GSM receiver, transmitter, solenoid valve, water meter, and pump for automated irrigation scheduling. The sensor network, global system for mobile communication (GSM) and short message service (SMS) carried the data from the sensors to the user through a mobile set. This system allows the user to effectively monitor and control water application in the field via sensors and/or through a mobile phone set by sending a command in the form of message and obtaining the moisture status in the field

Development of olanzapine solid dispersion by spray drying technique using screening design for solubility enhancement

Introduction: Olanzapine (OLZ) is a psychotropic class drug commonly used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and acute manic episodes. It has less water solubility, resulting in a slow dissolution rate and oral bioavailability. Therefore, the development in oral dosage forms is required to enhance the drug solubility. Method: The solid dispersion of olanzapine is prepared by spray drying technique. The solution of polyvinylpyrrolidone K-30 (PVP K-30), mono amino glycyrrhizinate pentahydrate (GLY), OLZ and silicon dioxide were dissolved in distilled water and ethanol and spray dried to get the solid dispersion. Solid dispersion was characterized for surface morphology, solubility, encapsulation efficiency (EE), X-ray diffraction (X-RD), Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) and drug-polymer interaction by Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy. Results: The amorphous nature of the drug's incorporation in solid dispersion was confirmed by X-RD analysis. Prepared solid dispersion showed higher solubility, 11.51 mg, than pure OLZ (0.983 mg ml-1), while the range of EE was found to be between 64 to 90 %. Conclusions: The solubility and dissolution rate of the OLZ can effectively increase by spray-dried solid dispersion. Plackett–Burman screening design plays a vital role in understanding the effect of independent variables on EE and solubility

Socio-economic upliftment of farmers through model irrigated village approach in East Champaran (Bihar), India: A case study

In India, the precious freshwater resources are becoming scarcer due to the climate change effect coupled with their inappropriate planning and management at the field level. Development of water resources and sensitization of farming community/irrigators towards effective utilization of these resources is need of the hour and it is one of the most important factors in conservation and preservation water resources for future requirements. This case study has highlighted the direct and indirect benefits derived by implementation of National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) scheme in Nawada, a village of the district East Champaran in Bihar state initiated by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Piprakothi, East Champaran under Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Bihar. Two groups of farmers of the village was chosen to evaluate the benefits derived from this scheme. Under this scheme, tube-wells were developed to facilitate assured irrigation. This study revealed that the total savings of approximate Rs.10,000 ($140) per hectare to irrigate wheat crop three times in Rabi season was achieved over conventional irrigation system. This scheme has also resulted in other intangible benefits which included a reduction in pollution, an increase in the number of crops- rabi , kharif and zaid  seasons and adequate time to carryout out other farm operations

Why Are Outcomes Different for Registry Patients Enrolled Prospectively and Retrospectively? Insights from the Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF).

Background: Retrospective and prospective observational studies are designed to reflect real-world evidence on clinical practice, but can yield conflicting results. The GARFIELD-AF Registry includes both methods of enrolment and allows analysis of differences in patient characteristics and outcomes that may result. Methods and Results: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and ≥1 risk factor for stroke at diagnosis of AF were recruited either retrospectively (n = 5069) or prospectively (n = 5501) from 19 countries and then followed prospectively. The retrospectively enrolled cohort comprised patients with established AF (for a least 6, and up to 24 months before enrolment), who were identified retrospectively (and baseline and partial follow-up data were collected from the emedical records) and then followed prospectively between 0-18 months (such that the total time of follow-up was 24 months; data collection Dec-2009 and Oct-2010). In the prospectively enrolled cohort, patients with newly diagnosed AF (≤6 weeks after diagnosis) were recruited between Mar-2010 and Oct-2011 and were followed for 24 months after enrolment. Differences between the cohorts were observed in clinical characteristics, including type of AF, stroke prevention strategies, and event rates. More patients in the retrospectively identified cohort received vitamin K antagonists (62.1% vs. 53.2%) and fewer received non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (1.8% vs . 4.2%). All-cause mortality rates per 100 person-years during the prospective follow-up (starting the first study visit up to 1 year) were significantly lower in the retrospective than prospectively identified cohort (3.04 [95% CI 2.51 to 3.67] vs . 4.05 [95% CI 3.53 to 4.63]; p = 0.016). Conclusions: Interpretations of data from registries that aim to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of patients with AF must take account of differences in registry design and the impact of recall bias and survivorship bias that is incurred with retrospective enrolment. Clinical Trial Registration: - URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier for GARFIELD-AF (NCT01090362)

Azimuthal anisotropy of charged jet production in root s(NN)=2.76 TeV Pb-Pb collisions

We present measurements of the azimuthal dependence of charged jet production in central and semi-central root s(NN) = 2.76 TeV Pb-Pb collisions with respect to the second harmonic event plane, quantified as nu(ch)(2) (jet). Jet finding is performed employing the anti-k(T) algorithm with a resolution parameter R = 0.2 using charged tracks from the ALICE tracking system. The contribution of the azimuthal anisotropy of the underlying event is taken into account event-by-event. The remaining (statistical) region-to-region fluctuations are removed on an ensemble basis by unfolding the jet spectra for different event plane orientations independently. Significant non-zero nu(ch)(2) (jet) is observed in semi-central collisions (30-50% centrality) for 20 <p(T)(ch) (jet) <90 GeV/c. The azimuthal dependence of the charged jet production is similar to the dependence observed for jets comprising both charged and neutral fragments, and compatible with measurements of the nu(2) of single charged particles at high p(T). Good agreement between the data and predictions from JEWEL, an event generator simulating parton shower evolution in the presence of a dense QCD medium, is found in semi-central collisions. (C) 2015 CERN for the benefit of the ALICE Collaboration. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Peer reviewe