SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC DETERMINATION OF ATORVASTATIN CALCIUM AND PITAVASTATIN CALCIUM THROUGH ION-PAIR COMPLEX FORMATION USING ACID DYES IN PHARMACEUTICAL FORMULATIONS AND HUMAN URINE SAMPLES

Objective: The main objective was to develop simple, cost-effective, rapid and selective spectrophotometric methods for the determination of atorvastatin calcium and pitavastatin calcium in pure and pharmaceutical formulations using acid dyes like bromothymol blue, bromocresol purple and bromocresol green and also in human urine samples. Methods: The developed methods were based on the formation of ion-pair complexes between statin drugs and acid dyes after studying the optimization conditions. The association constants of the developed ion-pair complexes were evaluated using Benesi–Hildebrand equation. The methods were validated according to ICH guidelines. Results: The formed ion-pair complexes showed maximum absorbance which was measured at 637 nm for both methods A and D, 601 nm, 606 nm for methods B and E and 631 nm for both methods C and F respectively with correlation coefficients 0.999. The analytical parameters and their effects in the developed methods were investigated. The ion-pair complexes were stable up to 24 h and showed good linearity. The molar absorptivity, Sandell sensitivity, detection, and quantification limits were also calculated. The stoichiometry ratio in all the cases was 1:2 by using Job’s method of continuous variation. The recovery studies again showed good results because co-formulated substances did not interfere for the determination of ATC and PTC in the developed methods. Conclusion: The developed methods were applicable for routine quality control analysis of ATC and PTC in pure and pharmaceutical dosage forms. Good results were obtained when the developed methods were applied in healthy human urine samples

Exploring the Switchgrass Transcriptome Using Second-Generation Sequencing Technology

Background: Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a C4 perennial grass and widely popular as an important bioenergy crop. To accelerate the pace of developing high yielding switchgrass cultivars adapted to diverse environmental niches, the generation of genomic resources for this plant is necessary. The large genome size and polyploid nature of switchgrass makes whole genome sequencing a daunting task even with current technologies. Exploring the transcriptional landscape using next generation sequencing technologies provides a viable alternative to whole genome sequencing in switchgrass. Principal Findings: Switchgrass cDNA libraries from germinating seedlings, emerging tillers, flowers, and dormant seeds were sequenced using Roche 454 GS-FLX Titanium technology, generating 980,000 reads with an average read length of 367 bp. De novo assembly generated 243,600 contigs with an average length of 535 bp. Using the foxtail millet genome as a reference greatly improved the assembly and annotation of switchgrass ESTs. Comparative analysis of the 454-derived switchgrass EST reads with other sequenced monocots including Brachypodium, sorghum, rice and maize indicated a 70– 80 % overlap. RPKM analysis demonstrated unique transcriptional signatures of the four tissues analyzed in this study. More than 24,000 ESTs were identified in the dormant seed library. In silico analysis indicated that there are more than 2000 EST-SSRs in this collection. Expression of several orphan ESTs was confirmed by RT-PCR. Significance: We estimate that about 90 % of the switchgrass gene space has been covered in this analysis. This study nearl

A Semi-Systematic Review of Capillary Irrigation: The Benefits, Limitations, and Opportunities

Capillary irrigation systems have been investigated for some years as a means to deliver water to plants in container gardening. This review paper identifies that traditional capillary irrigation systems such as capillary wicks, capillary mats, and ebb and flow systems have been shown to produce higher crop yields and use less water than conventional irrigation methods. In addition, capillary irrigation offers an added advantage by reducing the volume of potentially harmful leachate into surrounding soil environments. However, these systems are basically limited to small pot sizes and are widely used for growing ornamental and nursery plants in glasshouse conditions. Further, the cost and complexity of Negative Pressure Difference Irrigation may have limited its practical use. Conversely, wicking beds (WBs) are low-tech and water-efficient systems which can be used for growing plants with different rooting depths. Irrespective of the wide acceptance of WBs among the growing community, this review recognises that there is no published research providing design recommendations for WBs and their expected performance relative to other irrigation systems. Therefore, some potential advantages of WBs are noted in the context of capillary irrigation research; however, a substantial knowledge gap exists relating to the optimised design and use of WBs

Assessing Reliability of Recycled Water in Wicking Beds for Sustainable Urban Agriculture

Urban agriculture requires sustainable solutions to secure its water resources. A wicking bed (WB) is a simple system that could provide high yield and water use efficiency. This single trial glasshouse study compares the performance of a WB and surface irrigation (SI) system for growing tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) using fresh (FW) and recycled water (RW). The performance of both treatments was compared when irrigating 2 days per week and for two environmental conditions (indoor and outdoor). In addition, the reliability of using FW and RW at a 7-day irrigation interval was studied for WBs alone. Results showed that the irrigation water use efficiency (kg/m3) and the yield (kg/plant) are significantly different only between WB (FW) and SI (RW) considering all conditions. The accumulation of salts and the sodium absorption ratio (SAR) were high in the surface layer of WBs compared to SI. This indicates that the use of RW affects the level of salinity and sodicity in soil, which in turn may decrease the yield. However, WBs perform similar to, if not better than, SI with FW. The WBs show the advantage of reducing the leachate of nutrients into groundwater, compared to SI systems. Further research into irrigation and nutrient management in WBs to reduce the effect of salinity at the surface is recommended to increase the efficiency of the system

Estimation of Low Flow Statistics for Sustainable Water Resources Management in South Australia

The Magnitude and occurrence of extreme low flow events are needed in setting minimum flows to protect the instream users. As the true distribution is not normally known, the identification of the most appropriate distribution function that describes the extreme low flow data of a catchment is essential in estimating reliable low flow quantiles at various average recurrence intervals (ARI). The aim of this study is to conduct a comparative assessment of the performance of three plausible distribution functions for estimating low flow quantiles. The investigation was carried out by using 27-gauge stations within South Australia (SA), the driest state in Australia. The best distribution function out of the three selected distributions; Log Normal (LN), Log Pearson Type 3 (LP3), and Generalized Extreme Value (GEV for each of the three selected annual minima series (7-day, 15-day and 30-day) at each gauged catchments was identified. The estimated low flow quantiles from using these three distribution functions were compared using RMSE values estimated through Monte Carlo simulation studies. For the majority of the selected study catchments, GEV fitted using L moments was found to be the best method for estimating low flow quantiles at ARIs over 10 years (≥14%), while at low ARI, LP3 fitted using the Method of Moments (MOM) was shown to outperform (≥17%) the other methods

Estimation of Low Flow Statistics for Sustainable Water Resources Management in South Australia

The Magnitude and occurrence of extreme low flow events are needed in setting minimum flows to protect the instream users. As the true distribution is not normally known, the identification of the most appropriate distribution function that describes the extreme low flow data of a catchment is essential in estimating reliable low flow quantiles at various average recurrence intervals (ARI). The aim of this study is to conduct a comparative assessment of the performance of three plausible distribution functions for estimating low flow quantiles. The investigation was carried out by using 27-gauge stations within South Australia (SA), the driest state in Australia. The best distribution function out of the three selected distributions; Log Normal (LN), Log Pearson Type 3 (LP3), and Generalized Extreme Value (GEV for each of the three selected annual minima series (7-day, 15-day and 30-day) at each gauged catchments was identified. The estimated low flow quantiles from using these three distribution functions were compared using RMSE values estimated through Monte Carlo simulation studies. For the majority of the selected study catchments, GEV fitted using L moments was found to be the best method for estimating low flow quantiles at ARIs over 10 years (≥14%), while at low ARI, LP3 fitted using the Method of Moments (MOM) was shown to outperform (≥17%) the other methods

Green Synthesis and Characterization of Sodium Banana Peel Xanthate Carbon Dot (SBPX C-Dot) and Preparation and Utility of Carbon Composite Paste Electrode for Selective Potentiometric Sensing of Hg (II) Ions

International audienceA green approach has been used for the synthesis of fluorescent sodium banana peel xanthate Carbon Dot (SBPX C-dot) with the use of yellow banana peels as carbon source. The Carbon Dot were synthesized by hydrothermal treatments. pigments and other low molecular weight hydrocarbons, most of the above materials on reaction with carbon disulphide Banana peel is mostly composed of cellulose (8.4 nmol L-1), pectin (10-21%), hemicellulose (6.4-9.4 %), lignin (6-12%). Banana peel was first treated with 10% NaOH for a day to hydrolyze or digest or disentigrate into the low molecular weight and bigger molecular weight compounds, with a lot of hydroxyl functional groups, which make the Banana peel a potential substrate for the synthesis of Banana Peel Xanthate C-Dot (SBPX C-Dot). The Banana Peel Xanthate C-Dot (SBPX C-Dot) are analyzed and identified by FT-IR, Raman Spectroscopy and UV-Visible spectroscopy. Effect of pH on UV-Visible and Fluorescence Spectroscopy were carried out in the pH range (pH=1-10). Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy was used to study the surface morphology. The utility of (SBPX C-Dot) with Carbon Paste to form a Composite Electrode (CCPE) for potentiometric sensing of Hg (II) ion was accomplished in aqueous acetate and chloride medium at different pHs (pH=1-10). Reasonable and selective sensing was observed with CCPE for Hg (II) ion is observed

A prospective study of maternal and foetal outcome in prolonged pregnancy in tertiary care centre

Background: Prolonged pregnancy always possess a high risk, as there is a possibility of foetal distress and foetal death due to progressive foetal hypoxia following placental insufficiency. Maternal risks due to prolonged pregnancy includes labour dystocia, increase in severe perineal injury due to macrosomia, doubling inthe rate of caesarean delivery and cause anxiety. Aimed for analyse the maternal and foetal outcome, in prolonged pregnancy at tertiary carecentre. Material & Method: All the pregnant mother hospitalized after 40 weeks of gestation at Government maternity hospital, Hanamkonda are included in present study. The study was conducted form July 2019 to September 2020 and included 150 pregnant mothers who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Result: Total of 150 pregnant women with prolonge dpregnancy consented to be part of study. The mean age of the pregnant women was 23.36±2.77, 52% of women were primigravida and 48% were multigravida. Among the women, 88% were in 40wks to 40wks6D, 10% were in 41wks to 41wks6D and 2.0% were in >42wks of gestation. Majority of new-born with birth weight of 2.5 to 3.5kg in 80% and 14.7% new-born had higher birth weight of >3.5kg. There was no significant association between themode of delivery and gestational age in present study (p>0.05). There is a significant association between the caesarean section and gravida of the pregnant women (p<0.01). There is a significant association between the gestational week with the APGAR score. Gestational age >42wks had the lower APGAR score of <4(p<0.01). Conclusion: The prolonge dpregnancy is associated with significant increased risk of perinatal complications like foetal distress. There are significant higher risk of obstetric complications such as cephalopelvic disproportion, deep transverse arrest and caesarean section. There was higher incidence of the maternal and foetal complications among the primigravida compared tomultigravida