Evaluation of groundwater quality and its suitability for drinking and agricultural use in Thanjavur city, Tamil Nadu, India

As groundwater is a vital source of water for domestic and agricultural activities in Thanjavur city due to lack of surface water resources, groundwater quality and its suitability for drinking and agricultural usage were evaluated. In this study, 102 groundwater samples were collected from dug wells and bore wells during March 2008 and analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity, temperature, major ions, and nitrate. Results suggest that, in 90% of groundwater samples, sodium and chloride are predominant cation and anion, respectively, and NaCl and CaMgCl are major water types in the study area. The groundwater quality in the study site is impaired by surface contamination sources, mineral dissolution, ion exchange, and evaporation. Nitrate, chloride, and sulfate concentrations strongly express the impact of surface contamination sources such as agricultural and domestic activities, on groundwater quality, and 13% of samples have elevated nitrate content (>45 mg/l as NO3). PHREEQC code and Gibbs plots were employed to evaluate the contribution of mineral dissolution and suggest that mineral dissolution, especially carbonate minerals, regulates water chemistry.Groundwater suitability for drinking usage was evaluated by the World Health Organization and Indian standards and suggests that 34% of samples are not suitable for drinking. Integrated groundwater suitability map for drinking purposes was created using drinking water standards based on a concept that if the groundwater sample exceeds any one of the standards, it is not suitable for drinking. This map illustrates that wells in zones 1, 2, 3, and 4 are not fit for drinking purpose. Likewise, irrigational suitability of groundwater in the study region was evaluated, and results suggest that 20% samples are not fit for irrigation. Groundwater suitability map for irrigation was also produced based on salinity and sodium hazards and denotes that wells mostly situated in zones 2 and 3 are not suitable for irrigation. Both integrated suitability maps for drinking and irrigation usage provide overall scenario about the groundwater quality in the study area. Finally, the study concluded that groundwater quality is impaired by man-made activities, and proper management plan is necessary to protect valuable groundwater resources inThanjavur city

2017 Research & Innovation Day Program

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Efficacy of ornithine-alpha-ketoglutarate (OKGA) as a dietary supplement in growing rats

New substrates of potential benefit to critically ill patients receiving traditional nutritional support have been suggested to meet organ or tissue specific needs. The addition of an anabolic stimulus during nutritional support therefore appears to be a reasonable adjunct to augment protein synthesis. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the efficacy of the neutral salt ornithine alphaketoglutarate (OKGA) as a dietary supplement to promote growth in young rats by enhancing protein metabolism. A group of 16 male Sprague-Dawley rats (150-170g) were housed in individual metabolic cages and after dark-light cycle adaptation were fed ad libitum an oral liquid diet for 7 days. Half of the animals were given the control diet and the other half was fed a test diet. This isonitrogenous test diet contained the control diet with 2.3% of nitrogen (N) replaced by N from OKGA. Daily weight, food intake and urinary excretions of N, creatinine, urea, orotic acid, polyamines and amino-acids were determined. At the end of 7 days of free-feeding, the rats were sacrificed and blood was collected for free amino-acids. Rats fed the OKGA supplemented diet consumed 16% more diet, retained 11% more nitrogen and gained 15% more weight. The accelerated protein metabolism is reflected in the changes in plasma and urinary free amino-acid levels. Enhanced protein anabolism is evident from the increased urinary excretion of polyamines in the OKGA fed rats. The increased ratio of urinary urea N to total N and the decreased orotic acid excretion in OKGA fed rats suggests thata NH4+ was efficiently diverted through urea cycle. It is concluded that in growing rats, supplementing isonitrogenous diet with OKGA significantly stimulates food intake compared to controls. This results in better weight gain and improvement in protein metabolism. © 1990

The Effects of Heparin Bound Surface Modification (Carmeda

To determine if treatment with covalently bound heparin (Carmeda Bioactive Surface (CBAS))a to the synthetic surface of the extracorporeal circuit (ECC) would alter the stereotypic pattern of adverse platelet alterations, 450 ml of heparinized blood (lU/ml) was recirculated at a flow rate of twice the circulating volume (L/min) for 2 hrs at 37°C through either untreated (CONT,n=7) or treated (CBAS,n=7)circuits constructed of identical components including a pediatric (0.8m2) reversed hollow fiber membrane oxygenator. In CONT circuits, platelet count maintained 88+1% (x±SEM) of its initial level in the circuit prime sample, dropped to 36±6% after 5 min, and returned to 56±2% following 2 hrs of ECC. In CBAS circuits, platelet count in the circuit prime sample demonstrated 90±4%, decreased to 68±10% after 5 min (p<0.05) and declined further to 45±5% after 2 hrs (NS). Although platelets from both groups retained reactivity to ADP after priming the circuit, only at 5 min of recirculation did CBAS circuits significantly preserve this responsiveness. In CONT circuits, baseline plasma levels of platelet factor 4 rose from 24±3 to 581±82 ng/ml in the primed circuit and continued to rise to 2933±27 6 ng/ml by 2 hrs of ECC. In contrast, CBAS circuits markedly reduced this release after 2 hrs (577±165 ng/ml). Furthermore, by 2 hrs of ECC, plasma levels of thromboxane B2 in the CBAS circuits were significantly reduced when compared to CONT circuits (3035±1529 vs 29916±16293 pg/ml, respectively). We conclude that CBAS modification of the simulated extracorporeal circuit preserved the initial circulating platelet count with retained ADP reactivity and markedly decreased release of platelet factor 4 and thromboxane B2

Anticatabolic activity of alpha-ketoglutaric acid in growing rats

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