STUDIES ON EFFECT OF FORMULATION AND PROCESSING PARAMETERS ON STABILITY OF KETOROLAC TROMETHAMINE ORALLY DISSOLVING FILMS

Objective: The objective of the proposed work was to study the effect of various formulation and process parameters of solvent casting method on the physical and chemical stability of Ketorolac Tromethamine (KT) in the orally dissolving film dosage form. Methods: KT-excipient interaction study was carried out both in solid state and by processing samples through the solvent casting technique. The samples were evaluated using IR spectroscopy (IR) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). Solvent casting method was used to prepare KT films using different film-forming polymers, and solvents. The drying temperature and pH of the dispersion were also varied to study the effect of these parameters on the stability of KT. All the formulations were analysed chemically initially and after one month of storage at 40 °C/75% RH. Results: During KT-excipient interaction study in solid state KT was found to be stable. No significant changes were observed in its impurity profile. Interaction between different polymers and KT was observed after the solvent casting process as revealed by IR and XRD analysis. The interaction was further confirmed in the film formulations upon chemical analysis. The polymers showing interaction with KT in XRD and IR were making it unstable chemically and were responsible for its chemical degradation as revealed by chemical analysis. It was also revealed that KT is most stable when processed using water as the solvent. KT was found to be stable when processed at a higher temperature and at acidic pH during film formation. It was found that chemical stability is more when Polyethylene oxide (PEO) and water under acidic pH are used and films are dried at a higher temperature. Conclusion: Both formulation parameters and processing conditions of the solvent casting technique affects the stability of drugs and hence should be studied as part of pre-formulation studies while developing orally dissolving films of drugs

Age At Menarche And Risk Of Cancer Cervix

Research Problem: What is the role of early mcnarche as a risk factor in the outcome of cancer cervix? Objective: To investigate the role of early menarche as a risk factor for cancer cervix. Study Design: Hospital based, group matched, case control study. Setting: Gynaecology Clinic, Govt. Medical College Hospital, Nagpur. Participants: The study was carried out on 230 incident cases of cancer cervix confirmed by histopathology and equal number of controls selected from female patients admitted to the study hospital for conditions other than gynaecological cancers and showing pap smear within normal limits. The controls were group matched for 5 years class interval. Study Variable: Age at  menarche. Statistical Analysis: Univariate  analysis  was  done using Pearson's chi - square test and Odds Ratio while Adjusted Odds Ratio was calculated by using Unconditional Multiple Logistic Regression. Attributable and Population-Attributable Risk Proportion were also calculated. Result: A significant trend was observed towards increasing cancer cervix risk with decreasing age at menarche. Study subjects who had menarche before 13 years of age were at a significantly higher risk of cancer cervix. Various statistical characteristics endorsed this findings. Conclusion: The study identified a significant association of early menarche with cervical cancer. Recommendation: Independent and interactive role of early menarche in the outcome of cancer cervix needs further exploration by conducting studies involving multiple factors and using multivariate analysis

Group Rekeying Protocol for Secure communication

Group communication is one of the approaches to impart the messages effectively. Yet, security is the issue for this, and thus keys are utilized to secure the information. In this paper, the key management in group communication, an advanced rekeying approach based on the Logical Key Hierarchy (LKH) and One way Function Tree (OFT) schemes are explained. The AES crypto scheme is used to rekey the keys and the performance of the approach is better than LKH and OFT. Forward and backward security is provided by the proposed rekeying scheme. It is a novel rekeying scheme for large-scale dynamic groups that levers on logical sub-grouping and join history. On contrary other schemes, subgroups only support efficient group key management, have no application meaning and are transparent to the application layer. It misuses the historical backdrop of joining events to build up an aggregate requesting among subgroups and among nodes in every subgroup, so as to effectively recoup from collusion attacks

Single-Atom Catalysts: A Sustainable Pathway for the Advanced Catalytic Applications

A heterogeneous catalyst is a backbone of modern sustainable green industries; and understanding the relationship between its structure and properties is the key for its advancement. Recently, many upscaling synthesis strategies for the development of a variety of respectable control atomically precise heterogeneous catalysts are reported and explored for various important applications in catalysis for energy and environmental remediation. Precise atomic-scale control of catalysts has allowed to significantly increase activity, selectivity, and in some cases stability. This approach has proved to be relevant in various energy and environmental related technologies such as fuel cell, chemical reactors for organic synthesis, and environmental remediation. Therefore, this review aims to critically analyze the recent progress on single-atom catalysts (SACs) application in oxygen reduction reaction, oxygen evolution reaction, hydrogen evolution reaction, and chemical and/or electrochemical organic transformations. Finally, opportunities that may open up in the future are summarized, along with suggesting new applications for possible exploitation of SACs

Characterization of a bacterial collar and rhizome rot of banana (Musa paradisiaca) caused by strains of Erwinia chrysanthemi pv. paradisiaca

A serious collar and rhizome rot disease of banana was observed in the north region of Maharashtra state in post rainy season. The disease was caused by the bacterial strains of Erwinia chrysanthemi pv. paradisiaca identified and characterized by morphological, physiological, biochemical and pathogenicity tests. The infection occurred on new banana plantation of one month old in poorly drained soil. In post rainy season, banana plantations of 8 to 10 weeks were found severely infected. E. chrysanthemi pv. paradisiaca produced soft rot symptom onhealthy banana rhizomes within three weeks. Two strains were isolated from the collar and rhizome rotted diseased samples which were similar in morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics, however they differed in the virulence aggressiveness to cause the disease in banana. Strain II caused soft rot symptoms within 19 days, however strain I produced it within 23 days of inoculation with suspension of 3×108 CFU ml-1. The result of this study revealed that strain II was more aggressive as compared to strain I of E. chrysanthemi pv. paradisiaca

Development and characterization of gastroretentive mucoadhesive tablets of venlafaxine hydrochloride

The present study was undertaken with an aim to formulation development and evaluation of gastroretentive mucoadhesive sustained release tablet of Venlafaxine hydrochloride which releases the drug in a sustained manner over a period of 12 hours, by using Carbopol 971P in combination with eudragit RS-PO and ethyl cellulose as a mucoadhesive and release retardant respectively. Preformulation study was done initially and results directed for the further course of formulation. Based on Preformulation studies different batches of Venlafaxine hydrochloride were prepared using Carbopol 971P, Eudragit RS-PO and ethyl cellulose chosen for their different hydrophilic properties to calculate the sustained release properties. Sustained release tablets were prepared by direct compression and were evaluated for bioadhesion time, swelling index and matrix erosion, and in vitro drug release. The tablets of batch F3 and F6 had high swelling behaviors but release of drug is very less. And batch F2 having considerable swelling index and in vitro drug release (99.85%). Batch F2 can be taken as an ideal or optimized formulation of sustained release tablets for 12 hour release as it fulfills all the requirements for sustained release tablet. From the discussion it is concluded that use of carbopol as a release retardant and adhesive polymer is very effective; and also it act as strong release retardant in combination with hydrophobic polymers.Keywords: Gastroretentive; Mucoadhesive; Venlafaxine hydrochloride; Tablet

Death and dying in ‘Third Way’ death manuals: Shaping life and death after neoliberalism

In this chapter, I consider what might be called the “Third Way” death manuals of Philip Gould and Kate Gross, who were both, in different ways, involved with the New Labour Project. Their memoirs describe their experiences of dying and are notable for the conclusions to which they come; conclusions which suggest values at odds with the individualist and progressive narratives that shape neoliberal views of what it means to life well. In considering the tensions and possibilities that shape their respective narratives, new ways of living in the face of death become possible

Mealtime support for adults with intellectual disabilities: Understanding an everyday activity

Background: Mealtime support has a direct bearing on the diet-related health of men and women with intellectual disabilities as well as opportunities for expressing dietary preferences. Method: Semi-structured interviews with a sample of direct support staff providing mealtime support to adults with intellectual disabilities. Results: When managing tensions between a person's dietary preferences and ensuring safe and adequate nutrition and hydration, direct support staff are sensitive to a wide range of factors. These include the following: clinical advice; service users’ rights to choose; their (in)capacity to weigh up risks; how service users communicate; the constituents of a healthy diet; and a duty to protect service users' health. Conclusions: Those responsible for setting standards and regulating the care practices need to look beyond too simple ideas of choice and safety to recognize ways in which providing support at mealtimes is a complex activity with serious consequences for people's health and well-being

Mindfulness and Behavior Change

Initiating and maintaining behavior change is key to the prevention and treatment of most preventable chronic medical and psychiatric illnesses. The cultivation of mindfulness, involving acceptance and nonjudgment of present-moment experience, often results in transformative health behavior change. Neural systems involved in motivation and learning have an important role to play. A theoretical model of mindfulness that integrates these mechanisms with the cognitive, emotional, and self-related processes commonly described, while applying an integrated model to health behavior change, is needed. This integrative review (1) defines mindfulness and describes the mindfulness-based intervention movement, (2) synthesizes the neuroscience of mindfulness and integrates motivation and learning mechanisms within a mindful self-regulation model for understanding the complex effects of mindfulness on behavior change, and (3) synthesizes current clinical research evaluating the effects of mindfulness-based interventions targeting health behaviors relevant to psychiatric care. The review provides insight into the limitations of current research and proposes potential mechanisms to be tested in future research and targeted in clinical practice to enhance the impact of mindfulness on behavior change