1,023 research outputs found
Adsorption of Mercury (II) Ions from Aqueous Solution by Activated Carbon Prepared from Morinda Citrifolia
Mercury is one of the toxic contaminant in the environment and a major concerm in world wide.In this paper the use of morinda citrifolia bark as adsorbent for the removal of Hg(II) ions from aqueous solution in the batch system was studied . Acid treated activated carbon (AMC) was investigated for the removal of Hg(II) from aqueous solution as batch experiments by varying initial concentration, adsorbent dosage, pH, equilibrium time and temperature. A maximum removal of 92% was achieved with an initial Hg (II) concentration of 2 mg/L, pH -5 and adsorbent dose of 0.8 g/ L. The obtained experimental data were fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich equilibrium isotherm models. Both the models were found to provide a better fitting with coefficient of regression
Evaluation of different types of chest symptoms for diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis cases in community surveys
Background: Prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) is an important epidemiological index to measure the load of the
disease in a community. A series of disease surveys were undertaken in rural community in Tiruvallur district in
Tamilnadu, south India
Objective: To investigate the yield of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) cases by different symptoms status and suggest
predominant symptoms for detection of cases in the community based surveys.
Methods: Three disease surveys were conducted during 1999-2006, in a random sample of 82,000 adults aged > 15
years to estimate the prevalence and incidence of pulmonary TB. All subjects were screened for chest symptoms
and chest radiography. Sputum examination was done among those who were either symptomatic or abnormal on
X-ray or both. Cases observed through symptom inquiry were included for analysis.
Results: In survey-I, 65.6% had cough of > 14 days and yielded 79.1% of the total cases. In surveys II and III,
symptomatic subjects with cough contributed 69.5% and 69.2% of the cases respectively. In survey I, 26.8% had
symptoms without cough but with at least chest pain > 1 month contributed 8.4% of total cases. The corresponding
proportions in subsequent surveys were 29.3, 11.5%; and 23.4, 11.2% respectively. The number of symptomatics
without cough and chest pain but with fever > 1 month was negligible.
Conclusion: The relative importance of cough as a predominant symptom was reiterated. The yield of pulmonary
TB cases from symptomatics having fever of > 1 month was negligible. Fever may be excluded from the definition
of symptomatics for screening the population in community survey
FUNGUS MEDIATED SYNTHESIS OF SILVER NANOPARTICLES USING ASPERGILLUS FLAVUS AND ITS ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY AGAINST SELECTIVE FOOD BORNE PATHOGENS
In the present study, the aqueous extract of Aspergillus flavus was employed for the mycosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNps). The fungal extract of A. flavus acts as a reducing agent for the synthesis of AgNps. The biologically synthesized AgNPs was well characterized using various techniques such as, UV–Visible spectrophotometer, TEM, EDX and XRD. The synthesized AgNPs was found to be spherical in shape with a size range between 10 to 40 nm, and presence of elemental silver was also confirmed by the EDX spectrum. The mycosynthesized AgNps showed great extent of antibacterial property against the selected food borne pathogenic strains. The results obtained revealed that the maximum antibacterial activity of AgNPs was found against B. subtilis followed by S. aureus. From the present study results, it is clear that the synthesized AgNPs possessing good antibacterial activity could be more effective in applications such as antibacterial food packaging materials. Keywords: Aspergillus flavus, AgNPs, Antibacterial activity, TE
Survival of tuberculosis patients treated under DOTS in a rural tuberculosis unit (TU), south India.
Objective: To estimate survival probabilities and identify risk factors for death of tuberculosis (TB) patients during
treatment period.
Methods: TB patients registered during May 1999 to December 2004 from a rural TB unit (TU) with a population of
580 000 in Tiruvallur district, South India, formed study population. Life table and Cox’s regression methods were used.
Results: Of the 3818 TB patients who were initiated on treatment, 96, 94 and 97% of category – I, II and III
respectively, were surviving after completion of treatment. Higher death rates were independently associated with
patient’s age (45 years), previous history of treatment, alcoholism and initial body weight (<35 kgs).
Conclusion: The survival probability was found to be similar in all patients irrespective of categorization. Necessary
actions need to be initiated in the programme to improve body weight and abstain from alcoholism
Weight gain in patients with tuberculosis treated under directly observed treatment short-course (DOTS)
Set up: One Tuberculosis Unit (TU) in Tiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu, India where Tuberculosis (TB) patients treated
under Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTS) programme.
Objective: To identify the effects of weight gain among TB patients at the end of treatment on different factors such
as socio-economic and demographic characteristics, smoking and drinking habits, treatment under supervision, the type
of DOTS centres and problems in taking drugs.
Methods: TB patients registered between May 1999 and December 2004 formed the study population. Multiple
regression method was used for the analysis.
Results: Among 1557 smear-positive TB patients registered under DOTS programme, the changes in weight ranged
from a loss of 4 kgs to a gain of 20 kgs at the end of TB treatment; the average change in weight was 3.22 kgs. The gain
in weight at the end of treatment was associated with age (<45 years), DOT at government centres, no problems in taking
drugs as reported by patients and cure rate.
Conclusion: The findings showed that there is an association between gain in weight with DOT at government centres
and cure of patients
Impact of BCG vaccination on tuberculin surveys to estimate the annual risk of tuberculosis infection in south India
Background & objectives: Annual risk of tuberculosis infection (ARTI) computed from prevalence
of infection measures the extent of tuberculosis transmission in the community and it is used to
monitor the tuberculosis control programme. This is usually derived from tuberculin surveys among
children not vaccinated with BCG. This study explores whether the estimated ARTI among BCG
vaccinated children is comparable to that of unvaccinated children.
Methods: Three tuberculin surveys were undertaken among children aged <10 yr as part of assessing
the impact of DOTS implemented in Tiruvallur district, south India. The prevalence of infection
was estimated using the anti-mode method among vaccinated and unvaccinated children. The ARTI
was computed separately and compared in all the three surveys.
Results: The prevalence of infection among unvaccinated and vaccinated children in the first survey
were 7.8 per cent (95% CI: 7.1-8.6) and 7.9 per cent (95% CI: 7.1-8.8) respectively (ARTI was
estimated to be 1.6 per cent in both groups) and the difference was not statistically significant. The
corresponding figures for children test read in the second and third surveys were 6.9 per cent
(95% CI: 6.2-7.6) and 6.8 per cent (6.0-7.5) and; 6.0 per cent (5.2-6.7) and 6.0 per cent (5.5-6.5)
respectively. The computed ARTI was respectively 1.4 and 1.2 per cent among unvaccinated children
in the second and third surveys; and 1.4 and 1.2 per cent among vaccinated children in the second
and third rounds.
Interpretation & conclusion: There was no difference in the infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis
among vaccinated and unvaccinated children. BCG vaccinated children may thus be included for
estimation of infection to assess the extent of transmission in the community as well as for monitoring
purpose
Failure to initiate treatment for tuberculosis patients diagnosed in a community survey and at health facilities under a DOTS programme in a district of south India
We studied the proportion and fate of tuberculosis patients who were not initiated on treatment (initial
defaulters) in Tiruvallur district of Tamilnadu, where DOTS strategy was implemented. These patients were visited to
find out the reason for default. Treatment was not initiated in 57 (23.5%) of the 243 sputum positive cases diagnosed
in a community survey and 156 (14.9%) of 1049 patients diagnosed in health facility. Men were more likely not to have
treatment initiated. The common reasons stated for initial default were unwillingness, symptoms being mild, personal
reasons and dissatisfaction. There is an urgent need to improve the patient’s perception of treatment and strengthen the
health systems’ capabilities to reduce initial default
Formulation and Evaluation of taste masked Roxithromycin suspension and its comparative evaluation with marketed sample
The present study is development and evaluation of taste masked Roxithromycin oral suspension. OBJECTIVE OF THE PRESENT STUDY : The objective of the present study is to mask the bitter taste of a candidate
drug of Roxithromycin for suspension.
Oral suspensions are suitable for those people who cannot swallow the
tablets or in case of pediatrics. In such cases oral suspension is the choice. At the
same time the candidate drug is very bitter in taste so its taste should be masked
prior to dosage form development. Several formulations were carried out by Drug-resin complexation method
Quality of symptom elicitation in an epidemiological survey on tuberculosis
The quality of symptom elicited by health workers in an epidemiological survey on tuberculosis was
assessed by again subjecting a 10% random sample of the persons interviewed, by the supervisory staff, independently.
Three thousand four hundred and forty nine persons were thus interviewed twice. The overall estimates for overdiagnosis
and under-diagnosis in the elicitation of symptoms by health workers were to the extent of 16% and 8%
respectively, with minimal yield of sputum positivity from the discordant groups of persons. The additional load of 16%
for sputum examination can thus be considerably reduced if health workers are well trained in symptom-elicitationscreening
of the population and their work is monitored through spot supervisory checks
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