RANITIDINE CONTROLLED RELEASE ANTI-REFLUX SUSPENSION FOR GASTRO-OESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE AND IT’S IN VITRO EVALUATION

Objective: The aim of this work was to develop triple action controlled release anti-reflux suspension of ranitidine and its in-vitro evaluation of anti-reflux and controlled release properties. Methods: The formulation was optimized using sodium alginate as a gelling agent along with calcium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, magnesium hydroxide, aluminium hydroxide as alkalizing agents and colloidal microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) as a suspending agent at various concentrations and arrived at an optimized formulation for its best quality attributes. To avoid initial release in water before administration, ranitidine coated MCC sphere was incorporated into powder formulation and subjected to in vitro characteristics like raft strength, acid neutralizing capacity, pH, viscosity and dissolution study. The obtained results were assessed using Minitab 17 statistical software to conclude the study design. Results: Formulation containing 300 mg of ranitidine along with 750 mg alginate has shown better anti-reflux characteristics like raft strength 18±2g, acid neutralizing capacity 17±1 mEq compared to other formulations. This formulation has also shows zero-order controlled release in the simulated gastric fluid (SGF) up to 10 h compared to the formulation without alginate. Further, to this optimized formulation has shown negligible change in the assay of ranitidine even after 3 mo at 40 °C temperature and 75% RH. Conclusion: The developed stable sustained release powder for suspension has the combined therapeutic efficacy as an antacid and anti-reflux drug suitable for the management and treatment of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) unlike the existing drugs possessing only reflux resistance action

Studies on character association in fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.)

The investigation was carried out with twelve genotypes of fenugreek obtained from differentcoordinating centres of AICRP on Spices at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Lamduring 1998-1999, 1999-2000, 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 to estimate the correlation coefficientsfor yield and yield components. The mean data over four years was subjected to statisticalanalysis for estimating correlation coefficients both at phenotypic and genotypic level. Ingeneral the phenotypic correlation coefficients were smaller than genotypic correlationcoefficients for majority of the characters. Seed yield showed highly significant positiveassociation with plant height (0.907** and 0.967**), number of pods per plant (0.876** and0.952 **), pod length (0.839** and 1.005**) and number of seeds per pod (0.905** and 0.984**)both at phenotypic and genotypic level, respectively. Among the yield component charactersplant height with number of pods per plant (0.961** and 0.971**), pod length (0.818** and0.939**), number of seeds per pod (0.982 and 0.994); number of pods per plant with podlength (0.743**, 0.932**), number of seeds per pod (0.979**, 0.994**) and pod length withnumber of seeds per pod (0.815**, 0.979**) showed significant positive association both atphenotypic and genotypic level.The phenotypic and genotypic correlation studied showed that association of seed yieldwith plant height, number of pods per plant, pod length and number of seeds per pod wasappreciable, indicating the importance of these traits as components for seed yield. &nbsp

Studies on genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance in fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.)

The present investigation was carried out with fenugreek genotypes obtained from differentcoordinating centers of AICRP on Spices. Pods per plant (36.5 and 34.61), number of seedsper pod (22.86 and 21.20) and seed yield (22.09 and 17.21) recorded highest coefficients ofvariation (both phenotypic and genotypic), while it was low for pod length (11.43 and 7.32).Heritability estimates were high for plant height (83.10), pods per plant (89.90) and seeds perpod (86.00). Seed yield (60.70) and branches per plant showed moderate estimates of heritability.The characters viz. plant height, pods per plant, seeds per pod and seed yield which recordedhigh heritability also showed high genetic advance indicating operation of additive geneaction in the inheritance of these traits. These studies indicated that selection may beworthwhile in fenugreek for number of pods per plant, seeds per pod besides plant heightfor achieving higher yields. &nbsp

Experimental Investigation of The Performance of Bundy Tube Type Evaporator Coil in Chest Freezer

Refrigeration is an enabling technology in a wide range of applications mainly required in food preservation and it always needs an improvement in performance and low manufacturing cost. Chest freezers are used for this purpose. Emerging experimental studies are focused on the optimization in terms of the design and development of evaporator coils under various operating conditions. Evaporators are manufactured in different shapes, types and designs to suit diverse nature of cooling requirements. Bundy tube, a double wall copper brazed tube which is a material may be a promising innovation in the development of evaporator coils and the present investigation is to be carried out using R-134a as a refrigerant. The experimental investigation on bundy evaporator coil used in chest freezer of 425 Lts. capacity is done. Through the experiments, the length of the evaporator coil is optimized with increase in performance and reduced cost

Crop improvement of coriander (Coriandrum sativum L. subsp. indicum var. indicum.) through crossing

Coriander is the most important seed spice crop in India. Selection is the most common breeding procedure used in coriander and crossing is non-existent. The present study was conducted to promote crossing as a breeding technique in coriander. It was found that coriander was protandrous and the sex ratio was 1.75 to 2.07. The stigma was receptive from the 3rd day to 6th day of anthesis indicating that artificial pollination on emasculated florets must be done repeatedly on 3rd and 4th day of anthesis. Pollen was viable for two days in the field. Fresh pollen can be stored in incubator at 25oC for three weeks with 88% retention of viability. Emasculation of florets was carried out with the help of binocular loupe. Emasculation either in the morning before anthesis or previous day evening was found to be suitable. For demonstrating the technique, four parents were reciprocally crossed. Only three crosses were successful indicating the differences in combining ability of the parents. Mean success among the crosses was 23%, fruit set among the florets varied from 9.52-83.3% depending on the cross combination. &nbsp

Present status of exploitation of fish and shellfish resources: Prawns

The Prawn fishery of the west coast of India is reviewed with particular reference to monsoon season and related management problems based on observations at Cochin, Calicut, Mangalore and Bombay. With an estimated average annual production of about 25,000 tonnes for the period 1984-88, the monsoon season contributes only 15% to the total prawn landings of this coast. While shrimp trawling remains almost completely suspended in most of the centres during this period, it is very active at Cochin and Sakthikulangara in Kerala Coast and moderately active in Bombay Coast

Hyperspectral remote sensing of cyanobacterial pigments as indicators for cell populations and toxins in eutrophic lakes

The growth of mass populations of toxin-producing cyanobacteria is a serious concern for the ecological status of inland waterbodies and for human and animal health. In this study we examined the performance of four semi-analytical algorithms for the retrieval of chlorophyll a (Chl a) and phycocyanin (C-PC) from data acquired by the Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager-2 (CASI-2) and the Airborne Imaging Spectrometer for Applications (AISA) Eagle sensor. The retrieval accuracies of the semi-analytical models were compared to those returned by optimally calibrated empirical band-ratio algorithms. The best-performing algorithm for the retrieval of Chl a was an empirical band-ratio model based on a quadratic function of the ratio of re!ectance at 710 and 670 nm (R2=0.832; RMSE=29.8%). However, this model only provided a marginally better retrieval than the best semi-analytical algorithm. The best-performing model for the retrieval of C-PC was a semi-analytical nested band-ratio model (R2=0.984; RMSE=3.98 mg m−3). The concentrations of C-PC retrieved using the semi-analytical model were correlated with cyanobacterial cell numbers (R2=0.380) and the particulate and total (particulate plus dissolved) pools of microcystins (R2=0.858 and 0.896 respectively). Importantly, both the empirical and semi-analytical algorithms were able to retrieve the concentration of C-PC at cyanobacterial cell concentrations below current warning thresholds for cyanobacteria in waterbodies. This demonstrates the potential of remote sensing to contribute to early-warning detection and monitoring of cyanobacterial blooms for human health protection at regional and global scales

Prawn fauna (Crustacea: Decapoda) of India - An annotated checklist of the Penaeoid, Sergestoid, Stenopodid and Caridean prawns

Twenty four species of Pandalid shrimps reported from the Indian waters, of which six genera (Chlorotocella, Chlorotocus, Chlorocurtis, Dorodotes, Heterocarpoides and Stylopandalus) are represented by single species each. The genera, Plesionika and Heterocarpus are represented by eleven and seven species respectively. Plesionika adensameri (Balss, 1914) a deep-sea shrimp hitherto unreported from Indian waters is recorded from west coast of India. Information on some biological aspects of few Pandalid shrimps from Indian waters is also reported in the present paper

Stock assessment of the penaeid prawn Metapenaeus dobsoni (Miers) along the Indian coast

The annual prodiction of M. dobsoni showed an increasing trend with an annual average of 22 370 t during 1985-S9. It formed 15.7% of the penaeid prawn landings in the country. West coast contributed 69.9% to the annual yield of this prawn. Kerala ranked first (51.4%) in M. dobsoni production followed b;' Tamil Nadu. Shrimp trawl alone caught 54% of the landings. L«> and K were 139 mm and 2.4 for m«les, and 145 mm and 2.76 for females respectively. The instantaneous mortality coefficient (Z) ranged lietween 16,47 and 25.29 in males, and between 16.21 and 20.97 in females. Tlie natural mortality coefficient (M) was 2.3 for both the sexes. The yield per recruit (Yw/R) increased steadily to maximum values (MSY/R) in both the sexes at Emax ranging between 0.2 and 0.4. It marginally reduced at Ihe present E between 0.8 and 0.9 suggesting that the resource is overexploited and the current effort s far higher than the effort required to harvest optimum yields. Although the average annual catch by shrimp trawls (12 189 t) is lower than MSY (13 965 t), the annual effort of 6 920 tpd or 1 488 000 bd (F= 17.8 and E = 0.89) is far beyond f^,. Considering the fact that this prawn is also exploited by other gears with an annual average of 10 180 t during 1985-89, a conservative estimate of 25 000 t as potential stock for the whole country is made

An absent presence: Separated child migrants’ caring practices and the fortified neoliberal state

This paper explores the ambivalent positioning of separated child migrants in the UK with a focus on the care that they provide for each other. Drawing on interview data with state and non-state adult stakeholders involved in the immigration-welfare nexus, we consider how children’s care practices are viewed and represented. We argue that separated children’s caring practices assume an absent presence in the discourses mobilised by these actors: either difficult to articulate or represented in negative and morally-laden terms, reflective of the UK’s 'hostile environment' towards migrants and advanced capitalist constructions of childhood. Such an examination sheds light on the complex state attempts to manage the care and migration regimes, and the way that care can serve as a way of making and marking inclusions and exclusions. Here we emphasise the political consequences for separated child migrants in an age of neoliberal state retrenchment from public provision of care and rising xenophobic nationalism