Production and Utilization of Fly Ash Based Biofertillizers in Plant Growth

Fly ash an industrial waste resulting from combustion of pulverized coal can be used as an alternative for gainful and safe utilization of fly ashes on sustainable basis in agricultural sector to decimate the problem of land shortage. The research program consists of utilizing the mineralogical properties of fly ash such as porosity, low bulk density, presence of inorganic metal ions, and its macro nutrient property. Fly ash (pH: 6.5) with 200mesh size was treated by a technique called Bioleaching for extraction of low grade mineral concentrates from industrials wastes like fly ash by conversion of an insoluble metal into a soluble form using Thyobacillus ferrooxidans a gram -negative, rod shaped economic bacterium in the field of leaching. During their growth phase, these bacteria oxidize insoluble metal compounds especially FeS and converts it into soluble form in presence of the Fe (II)-oxidizing enzymes like rusticyanin oxidoreductase. Research program results show the loss of trace elements through leaching, after which the leached water test analysis mainly focusing sulphur and iron tests were also done. Leached water showed high content of sulphur and iron content in it and the pH of fly ash was accounted to 8.5 after leaching. In order to check the construction formwork to some extent plant growth tests (includes plant height, thickness), was also undergone

Preparation and Characterisation of High Aspect Ratio Materials for Bone Tissue Engineering

This research work aims to give an overview of the synthesis of high aspect ratio materials for bone tissue engineering. The work was carried out using high aspect materials of both natural (micro fibrillated cellulose from jute, spider silk, cocoon silk) and synthetic grade (MgO and ZnO nanorods). Micro fibrillated cellulose was extracted from jute by washing it thoroughly with sodium hydroxide and bleaching it with hydrogen peroxide followed by acid hydrolysis with sulphuric acid. Spidroin was extracted from spider silk using different benign solvents and fibroin was extracted from Bombyx mori following the lithium bromide standard protocol. Hydrothermal method was followed for synthesis of magnesium oxide and zinc oxide nanorods. Micro fibrillated cellulose was characterized by SEM, XRD, FTIR, DSC, TGA, dispersion studies, and phytochemical tests. Spidroin and fibroin was analyzed using Fluorescence microscopy, FTIR, and CD. Magnesium oxide and zinc oxide nanorods were characterized using SEM, and XRD. Also, a comparative in-vitro cytotoxicity of all these materials was checked using adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs). From the SEM results it was found that the cellulose extracted from jute were micro fibrillated. The FTIR and XRD data showed that cellulose type II was extracted. Also the degradation of cellulose at 270 °C was confirmed from TGA results. Both spidroin and fibroin was successfully extracted using simple benign solvents. FTIR and CD data showed the presence of good amount of ß-sheets. FESEM of both MgO and ZnO showed that the nanoparticles agglomerated together to form nanorod like structure. The MTT study revealed that spider silk was more compatible followed by cocoon silk, cellulose, MgO and ZnO. This concludes that while both the high aspect ratio as well as the biocompatibility of the materials is an important factor designing materials for load bearing application

Multiplexed Paper Microfluidics for Titration and Detection of Ingredients in Beverages

Food safety and access to systematic approaches for ensuring detection of food hazards is an important issue in most developing countries. With the arrival of paper-based analytical devices (mu PADs) as a promising, rapid, easy-to-use, and low-cost analytical tool, we demonstrated a simple microfluidic-based titration study for the analysis of packaged fruit juices. Similar, to the titration experiments using traditional glassware in chemistry laboratories, in this study the titration experiments were developed using paper microfluidics for the analysis of several analytes such as pH, vitamin C, sugars, and preservatives present in the packaged fruit juices. The allergen found commonly in dairy based mixtures and the non-pathogenic biochemical component responsible for food spoilage in cider based fruit juices were also determined. The results obtained using paper microfluidics were compared with those obtained using a conventional spectrophotometric technique. Finally, a paper microfluidics based multiplexed sensor was developed for the analysis of common nutritional ingredients, an allergen, and a non-pathogenic byproduct present in packaged fruit juices on a single platform. Overall, the results presented in this study reveal that the proposed paper microfluidic assisted colorimetric multiplexed sensor offers a quick and reliable tool for on-spot routine analysis for food safety applications

Recovery and Screening of α-Galacotosidase Producing Lactic Acid Bacteria from Fermented Dairy Products

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) present in fermented foods has long been consumed by humans without any obvious adverse effects. Therefore, they are potent candidates as vehicles for the delivery of digestive enzymes. Stachyose, a tetrasaccharide, is believed to contribute to flatulent properties of soyabeans that limit their use for human consumption. LAB including some Lactobacillus plantarum, L.fermentum,L. buchneri and reuteri  hydrolyze α- galactosides or non-digestible carbohydrates into digestible carbohydrates during fermentation. These bacteria are therefore a source of α -galactosidase. If soy milk could be fermented with these microorganisms that utilize stachyose either to produce acid or to hydrolyze it to mono and disaccharides, the product thus prepared ought to be less flatulent and therefore, more acceptable. In present study, total 27 lactic acid bacteria were recovered selectively on MRS agar from the various milk and milk products. All the 27 isolates were characterized morphologically and the colonies were white to cream and gram positive. Out of 27 LAB only 5 isolates were found to be positive for α- galactosidase enzyme. α-galactosidase activities were determined by using p-NPG. All 5 α- galactosidase producer were further subjected for various biochemical characterization for partial identification and were catalase negative, and casein hydrolysis, sugar fermentation, nitrate reduction positive. Reduction of α- galactosides by the 5 selected isolates were evaluated. The isolate, RLAB α-4, CLAB α-14, CLAB, CLAB α-20 α-18 and WLAB α-25 degraded 67.56 %, 45.94%, 54.05%, 70.27%, and 64.86% α- galactosides respectively. CLAB α-20 degraded maximum concentration of α- galactosides and RLAB α-14 degraded least concentration of α- galactosides

Participatory policy analysis in health policy and systems research: reflections from a study in Nepal

Background Participatory policy analysis (PPA) as a method in health policy and system research remains underexplored. Using our experiences of conducting PPA workshops in Nepal to explore the impact of the country’s move to federalism on its health system, we reflect on the method’s strengths and challenges. We provide an account of the study context, the design and implementation of the workshops, and our reflections on the approach’s strengths and challenges. Findings on the impact of federalism on the health system are beyond the scope of this manuscript. Main body We conducted PPA workshops with a wide range of health system stakeholders (political, administrative and service-level workforce) at the local and provincial levels in Nepal. The workshops consisted of three activities: river of life, brainstorming and prioritization, and problem-tree analysis. Our experiences show that PPA workshops can be a valuable approach to explore health policy and system issues – especially in a context of widespread systemic change which impacts all stakeholders within the health system. Effective engagement of stakeholders and activities that encourage both individual- and system-level reflections and discussions not only help in generating rich qualitative data, but can also address gaps in participants’ understanding of practical, technical and political aspects of the health system, aid policy dissemination of research findings, and assist in identifying short- and long-term practice and policy issues that need to be addressed for better health system performance and outcomes. Conducting PPA workshops is, however, challenging for a number of reasons, including the influence of gatekeepers and power dynamics between stakeholders/participants. The role and skills of researchers/facilitators in navigating such challenges are vital for success. Although the long-term impact of such workshops needs further research, our study shows the usefulness of PPA workshops for researchers, for participants and for the wider health system. Conclusions PPA workshops can effectively generate and synthesize health policy and system evidence through collaborative engagement of health system stakeholders with varied roles. When designed with careful consideration for context and stakeholders’ needs, it has great potential as a method in health policy and systems research

Fracture fixation in the operative management of hip fractures (FAITH): an international, multicentre, randomised controlled trial

© 2017 Elsevier Ltd Background Reoperation rates are high after surgery for hip fractures. We investigated the effect of a sliding hip screw versus cancellous screws on the risk of reoperation and other key outcomes. Methods For this international, multicentre, allocation concealed randomised controlled trial, we enrolled patients aged 50 years or older with a low-energy hip fracture requiring fracture fixation from 81 clinical centres in eight countries. Patients were assigned by minimisation with a centralised computer system to receive a single large-diameter screw with a side-plate (sliding hip screw) or the present standard of care, multiple small-diameter cancellous screws. Surgeons and patients were not blinded but the data analyst, while doing the analyses, remained blinded to treatment groups. The primary outcome was hip reoperation within 24 months after initial surgery to promote fracture healing, relieve pain, treat infection, or improve function. Analyses followed the intention-to-treat principle. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00761813. Findings Between March 3, 2008, and March 31, 2014, we randomly assigned 1108 patients to receive a sliding hip screw (n=557) or cancellous screws (n=551). Reoperations within 24 months did not differ by type of surgical fixation in those included in the primary analysis: 107 (20%) of 542 patients in the sliding hip screw group versus 117 (22%) of 537 patients in the cancellous screws group (hazard ratio [HR] 0·83, 95% CI 0·63–1·09; p=0·18). Avascular necrosis was more common in the sliding hip screw group than in the cancellous screws group (50 patients [9%] vs 28 patients [5%]; HR 1·91, 1·06–3·44; p=0·0319). However, no significant difference was found between the number of medically related adverse events between groups (p=0·82; appendix); these events included pulmonary embolism (two patients [\u3c1%] vs four [1%] patients; p=0·41) and sepsis (seven [1%] vs six [1%]; p=0·79). Interpretation In terms of reoperation rates the sliding hip screw shows no advantage, but some groups of patients (smokers and those with displaced or base of neck fractures) might do better with a sliding hip screw than with cancellous screws. Funding National Institutes of Health, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Stichting NutsOhra, Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development, Physicians\u27 Services Incorporated

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Factors Associated with Revision Surgery after Internal Fixation of Hip Fractures

Background: Femoral neck fractures are associated with high rates of revision surgery after management with internal fixation. Using data from the Fixation using Alternative Implants for the Treatment of Hip fractures (FAITH) trial evaluating methods of internal fixation in patients with femoral neck fractures, we investigated associations between baseline and surgical factors and the need for revision surgery to promote healing, relieve pain, treat infection or improve function over 24 months postsurgery. Additionally, we investigated factors associated with (1) hardware removal and (2) implant exchange from cancellous screws (CS) or sliding hip screw (SHS) to total hip arthroplasty, hemiarthroplasty, or another internal fixation device. Methods: We identified 15 potential factors a priori that may be associated with revision surgery, 7 with hardware removal, and 14 with implant exchange. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses in our investigation. Results: Factors associated with increased risk of revision surgery included: female sex, [hazard ratio (HR) 1.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25-2.50; P = 0.001], higher body mass index (fo

Point-of-Care Devices for Therapeutic, Medical and Environmental Applications

Point-of-care testing (POCT) or Point-of-use (POU) devices or technologies are defined as testing aids that are capable for onsite use or testing. The key advantages of POCT are low sample volume, quick onsite diagnosis, high accuracy, and cost-effectiveness. POCT has the potential and the benefits to facilitate better health care management by rapid routine diagnosis and monitoring. To reach this goal, several researchers as well as the healthcare industry over a few years have conducted cutting edge research to bring science to technology by developing smart diagnostic devices capable of performing as per patient profiles and make personalized health care possible. Over the time, advancements in nanoscience and technology have enabled the development of smart, miniaturized, and portable diagnostic devices. Device miniaturization has made it possible to develop and accomplish a myriad of POC devices with applications ranging from medical diagnosis, healthcare monitoring to environmental sensing. This thesis aims to utilize emerging micro- & nano- technology and explore signal transduction mechanism to develop POC based devices, and explore their utilities for therapeutic, medical, and environmental sensing applications. The development of POC diagnostic platforms for rapid and ultra-sensitive diagnosis or for conducting on-field testing assays requires significant efforts and a multi-disciplinary approach to conduct collaborative research oriented across many technology areas. By combining engineering architectures and by utilizing the previously recognized detection assays we developed effective POC sensors in line with the ASSURED (affordable, sensitive, specific, user-friendly, rapid and robust, equipment-free and deliverable to end users) criteria

Multiplexed Paper Microfluidics for Titration and Detection of Ingredients in Beverages

Food safety and access to systematic approaches for ensuring detection of food hazards is an important issue in most developing countries. With the arrival of paper-based analytical devices (µPADs) as a promising, rapid, easy-to-use, and low-cost analytical tool, we demonstrated a simple microfluidic-based titration study for the analysis of packaged fruit juices. Similar, to the titration experiments using traditional glassware in chemistry laboratories, in this study the titration experiments were developed using paper microfluidics for the analysis of several analytes such as pH, vitamin C, sugars, and preservatives present in the packaged fruit juices. The allergen found commonly in dairy based mixtures and the non-pathogenic biochemical component responsible for food spoilage in cider based fruit juices were also determined. The results obtained using paper microfluidics were compared with those obtained using a conventional spectrophotometric technique. Finally, a paper microfluidics based multiplexed sensor was developed for the analysis of common nutritional ingredients, an allergen, and a non-pathogenic byproduct present in packaged fruit juices on a single platform. Overall, the results presented in this study reveal that the proposed paper microfluidic assisted colorimetric multiplexed sensor offers a quick and reliable tool for on-spot routine analysis for food safety applications