Tailoring of Energy Band Gap inGraphene-like System by Fluorination

Fluorinated grapheme has a two-dimensional layer structure with a wide band gap. In the present study, Fluoro Graphene (FG) is obtained from Graphene Oxide (GO) through a deoxyfluorination reaction with the aid of Diethylaminosulphurtrifluoride (DAST). The FT-IR exhibited a peak at 1216 cm-1 and the shoulder at 1312 cm-1 were ascribed to the stretching vibration of covalent C–F bonds and C–F2 bonds, respectively. Surface morphology revealed a leafy structure in GO and a rocky structure in FG. The EDS analysis confirmed the fluorination of the graphitic structure. The TEM analysis confirmed the formation of a mixed structure of graphene and carbon dots. The results of structural, morphological and electrical properties of both graphene oxide and fluorographene show the possibility of using these samples as electronic/electrochemical devices in future

Prevalence of abnormal glucose tolerance in Indian women with polycystic ovarian syndrome

Background: Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a common endocrine condition affecting reproductive age women, associated with impaired glucose intolerance (IGT) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence of IGT and type 2 DM in Indian polycystic ovarian syndrome patients as compared to control population.Methods: This prospective cross sectional study included 130 PCOS women and 76 control women attending OBG department Vydehi medical college and research centre. From all included subject’s clinical history, family history and anthropometric measurements were obtained. All women had a standard oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) with measurement of fasting glucose and 2-hour glucose levels. Normal glucose tolerance (NGT), IGT, and type 2 diabetes were defined using glucose levels during the OGTT, according to the criteria proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO).Results: Among 130 PCOS women, glucose tolerance was normal in 101 (77.69%) women, 25 (19.2%) had IGT and 4 (3.07%) had type 2 DM; compared to 76 healthy controls, 70 (92.1%) had normal glucose tolerance and 6 (7.9%) had IGT. None of the controls had type 2 DM. This finding was statistically significant with P value 0.02.Conclusions: The prevalence of IGT and type 2 DM in women with PCOS is significantly more in comparison with healthy controls. Therefore, women with PCOS should periodically have an OGTT for diabetes screening

Evaluation of maternal anemia in tertiary care centre and its neonatal outcomes

Background: Anaemia is the leading cause of maternal mortality and morbidity in India. According to WHO globally, anaemia affects 1.62 billion people. In India, National Family Health Survey 2009, reports that 55% of women in reproductive age group are anaemic. Maternal anaemia can cause many perinatal complications like low birth weight, preterm delivery, low APGAR score, suboptimal infant breast feeding behavior.Methods: This prospective study was conducted in Department of OBG at VIMS and RC for a period of 1 year. Of the total 1863 deliveries during this period, only 412 patients meet the inclusion criteria. Hb% 11gm% were non anaemic. Haemoglobin estimation was done at time of hospital admission for delivery. Patients background information included education, husband’s occupation, monthly family income, urban/rural dwelling. Patients’ BMI, obstetric score, number of antenatal visits she has had, if iron tablets taken regularly were all noted. Perinatal parameters recorded were birth weight, gestational age at delivery, perinatal outcome (live birth, intrauterine foetal demise (IUD) and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).Results: Out of the total 412 patients examined, 208 were non-anemic and 204 were anemic. Mean age and B.M.I for anemic and non-anemic women were comparable. Most women in both groups were urban dwellers, attended school up to grade 10, were housewives (35.9) and multi gravidas. There was significant difference in household monthly income and husband’s employment in both groups. Majority of patients in both groups had taken >3 antenatal checkups, there were significant number of anemic women (15.7%) who had no A.N.C. checkups. Around 50% of women in both groups had taken iron tablets irregularly during pregnancy; around 15.7% and 7.2% of anemic and non-anemic patients respectively did not take iron tablets at all during pregnancy, though this difference was significant. There was significant difference between the groups regarding knowledge of specific diet plan for ante and post-partum period. Only 16.2% in anemic and 22.6% in non-anemic patients knew the correct technique and duration of breast feeding. There is statistically significant increased risk of preterm delivery among anemic women, 27.9% preterm birth in anemic group and 7.2% in non-anemic group. Low birth weight was significantly associated with anemic group, also few babies with increased birth weight >3.5 kg was seen in anemic group. There were 25 IUGR babies (12.3%) in anemic and 12 IUGR babies (5.8%) in non-anemic group, and difference was significant.Conclusions: In our study we found a positive correlation between maternal anaemia and prematurity, LBW babies, Low APGAR score and PNM. . The knowledge regarding nutritious diet and breast feeding was slightly low among anaemic mothers. This compounds the problem and starts the vicious cycle of anaemic malnourished babies & mothers

Characterization of non-membrane-damaging cytotoxin of non-toxigenic Vibrio cholerae O1 and its relevance to disease

The non-membrane-damaging cytotoxin which causes dramatic cell rounding of cultured HeLa cells was purified to homogeneity from a clinical strain (WO5) of non-toxigenic Vibrio cholerae O1 Inaba belonging to the El Tor biotype. The purified protein has a denatured molecular weight of 35 kDa and a native molecular weight of approximately 37 kDa indicating the monomeric nature of the protein. The 15 N-terminal amino acid sequence of non-membrane-damaging cytotoxin showed complete homology to the hemagglutinin protease previously purified and characterized from V. cholerae O1. Purified non-membrane-damaging cytotoxin from V. cholerae O1 was immunologically and biochemically identical to that previously purified from V. cholerae O26. Non-membrane-damaging cytotoxin was found to be enterotoxic in rabbit ileal loop assay inducing accumulation of non-hemorrhagic fluid at 100 μg and elicited a concentration dependent increase in short circuit current and tissue conductance of rabbit ileal mucosa mounted on Ussing chambers. A significant serum immunoglobulin G response against non-membrane-damaging cytotoxin was elicited by patients infected with V. cholerae O139 but not with V. cholerae O1. These properties make non-membrane-damaging cytotoxin a potential virulence factor of V. cholerae which should be taken into consideration while making live, attenuated recombinant vaccine strains against cholera

Your Health Is in Your Hands? US CDC COVID-19 Mask Guidance Reveals the Moral Foundations of Public Health

In the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, US public health policy remains at a crossroads. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) May 28, 2021 guidance, which lifted masking recommendations for vaccinated people in most situations, exemplifies a troubling shift — away from public health objectives that center equity and toward a model of individual personal responsibility for health. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky emphasized that your health is in your hands, undermining the idea that fighting COVID is a public health responsibility that requires the support of institutions and communities. The social impacts of this scientific guidance, combined with the emergence of new variants, have exposed the fallacy of this approach, with most local mask restrictions lifted and infections rising dramatically among disadvantaged populations. Rapidly rising cases prompted the CDC on July 27th to recommend resuming indoor masking even for vaccinated people in areas of substantial or high transmission, but US policy continues to frame the pandemic largely as a matter of individual responsibility to the detriment of public health. As public health professionals and advocates, we call for a renewed commitment to core public health principles of collective responsibility, health equity, and human rights

Your health is in your hands? US CDC COVID-19 mask guidance reveals the moral foundations of public health

In the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, US public health policy remains at a crossroads. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) May 28, 2021 guidance, which lifted masking recommendations for vaccinated people in most situations, exemplifies a troubling shift—away from public health objectives that center equity and toward a model of individual personal responsibility for health. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky emphasized that “your health is in your hands”, undermining the idea that fighting COVID is a “public” health responsibility that requires the support of institutions and communities. The social impacts of this scientific guidance, combined with the emergence of new variants, have exposed the fallacy of this approach, with most local mask restrictions lifted and infections rising dramatically among disadvantaged populations. Rapidly rising cases prompted the CDC on July 27th to recommend resuming indoor masking even for vaccinated people in “areas of substantial or high transmission”, but US policy continues to frame the pandemic largely as a matter of individual responsibility—to the detriment of public health. As public health professionals and advocates, we call for a renewed commitment to core public health principles of collective responsibility, health equity, and human rights

Where is the “Public” in American Public Health? Moving from individual responsibility to collective action

American individualism continues to prove incommensurate to the public health challenge of COVID-19. Where the previous US Administration silenced public health science, neglected rising inequalities, and undermined global solidarity in the early pandemic response, the Biden Administration has sought to take action to respond to the ongoing pandemic. However, the Administration\u27s overwhelming focus on individual responsibility over population-level policy stands in sharp contrast to fundamental tenets of public health that emphasize “what we, as a society, do collectively to assure the conditions for people to be healthy”. When this misalignment of individual responsibility and public health initially became clear with the removal of mask guidance for vaccinated individuals in May 2021, we decried the CDC Director\u27s public admonition: “Your health is in your hands.” We argued that such statements – coupled with the label of “the pandemic of the unvaccinated” – represent a moral failing of US policy because they “undermine the fundamental notion that all people are equal in dignity and rights” and implicitly shift blame to individuals for systemic failures

Enhancement of bioethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass of banana by single batch fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae and native microorganism

Bioethanol production using the lignocellulosic biomass of banana viz., banana raw peel, ripe peel and pseudostem were attempted. Among the three feed stocks, maximum total reducing sugar content of 21.98% was observed in the banana ripe peel.  Pretreatments of the feed stocks with acid resulted in higher lignin removal and increased total reducing sugar content compared to the alkali treatment. Separate Hydrolysis and Fermentation (SHF), Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation (SSF) and Single Batch Bioconversion (SBB) were carried out for the fermentation process using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. By SSF fermentation processs, 6.63% of ethanol was produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae from the untreated samples of banana raw peel. Enhancement of bioethanol production was done using a native cellulolytic microorganism isolated from the degraded banana samples. Using the native microorganism along with Saccharomyces cerevisiae in SBB resulted in 6.88% of bioethanol conversion. This is the first report of using native microorganism for enhanced degradation of cellulose in banana biomass for higher bioethanol production