Zebrafish: a novel model in neuropsychopharmacological research

The zebrafish (danio rerio) has recently become a powerful animal model for research purposes and drug discovery due to its ease of maintenance, genetic manipulability and ability for high-throughput screening. It has emerged as a model species for translational research in various neuroscience areas, including pharmacogenetics and neuropharmacology. Due to their physiological (neuroanatomical, neuroendocrine, neurochemical) and genetic homology to mammals, robust phenotypes, and value in high-throughput genetic and chemical genetic screens, zebrafish are ideal for developing valid experimental models of major neuropsychiatric disorders and discovering novel therapeutics. Both larval and adult zebrafish are presently used to enhance our understanding of brain function, dysfunction, and their genetic and pharmacological modulation. This article provides a review of the developing utility of zebrafish in the analysis of complex brain disorders (including, e.g., depression, autism, psychoses, drug abuse, and cognitive deficits), also covering zebrafish applications towards the goal of modelling major human neuropsychiatric and drug-induced syndromes

Green Purchase: The influence of Pro-environmental Behavioral intention on Consumer green purchase decision

Masteroppgave International Buisness and Marketing - Nord universitet 201

Assessment of surgical outcome in emergency gastrointestinal surgeries using P-POSSUM score

Background: The physiological and operative severity score for the enumeration of mortality and morbidity (POSSUM) and its modification, Portsmouth-POSSUM (P-POSSUM), are considered as methods of risk scoring. Application of this scoring system helps in assessing the quality of the health care provided and surgical outcome. Its utilization in our country where the level of healthcare and resources differ is limited. Hence, a prospective study to assess the outcome of emergency GI surgeries using P-POSSUM scoring system in a teaching hospital at district level was taken up.Methods: 80 cases which underwent emergency GI surgeries were studied. Using P-POSSUM equation, predicted mortality and morbidity rates were calculated and compared with the actual outcome. Statistical significance was calculated using chi square test.Results: An observed to expected ratio of 0.71 and 0.60 was obtained for mortality and morbidity respectively. No significant difference was noted between expected to observed mortality and morbidity rates with P=0.23 and P=0.09 for mortality and morbidity respectively, suggesting a reasonably good quality of outcome. P-POSSUM over predicted mortality and morbidity in low risk groups while it accurately predicted the outcome in high risk groups.Conclusions: The quality of surgical care provided and surgical outcome are comparable to other health care systems, with observed to expected mortality and morbidity ratio being nearly same. P-POSSUM can be used as a tool for outcome audits

Realization Of 3-D Reflectors By Using Metal-Air And Semiconductor-Air Based Photonic Structures At Three Communication Windows

The present study is based on analysis of three dimensional photonic crystal(PhC) to envisage a photonic reflector pertaining to suitable optical communication wavelengths (850/1310/1550nm). The said photonic reflector application is envisaged separately by two 3D PCSs, which comprised of semiconductor (germanium) and metal (iron) based circular rods respectively, arranged on a square lattice having air as the background material. A detailed assay of photonic band gap is the cornerstone of this work, which is studied through manipulating the plane wave expansion (PWE) technique. PBG is meticulously controlled by suitably selecting the geometrical parameters like refractive index of the background material, height of the structure, lattice constant andradius of the rods. Simulation outcomes explored that semiconductor based PhC reflects 850nm, 1310nm and 1550nm by selecting diameter of the circular rods as 282 nm, 608 nm and 771 nm respectively, whereas metal based PCS reflects the aforementioned wavelengths for diameter of the circular rods as 335 nm, 1070 nm and 871 nm respectively. Further, we investigated the variation in reflected wavelength for change in the diameter of the circular barsin both the proposed structures. Thus, the proposed optical reflectors open up an avenue for wide range of applications vis-à-vis three communication windows

Variation of cost among anti-malarial drugs available in Indian market

Background: There are numerous brands of antimalarial existent in the market. Expensive drugs could result in financial drain that causes reduced compliance or even non-compliance. Non-adherence to therapy could consequently cause partial treatment that leads to higher morbidity and in certain cases mortality too. Thus this evaluation was conducted to measure the cost disparity of malaria therapy.Methods: The maximum and minimum price of each brand of the drug in Indian rupee rate was noted by using the latest edition of current index of medical specialities. The cost ratio and the percentage cost variation for individual drug brands were calculated.Results: The analysis of data reflected a considerable cost variation among antimalarial drugs. Chloroquine DS 500 mg showed the highest cost ratio and cost variation (cost ratio=15.3 and % cost variation=1434). Overall injectable antimalarials showed considerable cost variation as compared to oral antimalarial agents.Conclusions: The maximum variation shown by oral antimalarial was found to be for chloroquine DS 500 tablet. But there was significant price variation among injectable antimalarial. Injectable antimalarials are often the choice of drug when dealing with critically ill malaria patients specially when suffering from complicated malaria. So, such significant price variation creates burden on poor patients economically which leads to non-compliance and hence increased morbidity and mortality due to incomplete treatment

Realization Of Temperature Measurement Using Semiconductor Based Photonic Crystal Structure

Semiconductor based two-dimensional triangular photonic crystal structures (TPCS) are focused in the present research to measure the temperature where the semiconductors like Silicon, Germanium, Indium Arsenide, and Indium Antimonide are used as the background materials. The triangular strctures are exposed to a light source of wavelength 10.59μm to estimate the  temperatures. Since the abosorbtance of the background materials is zero at incident signal,the energy of transmitted light solely depends on the reflected light energy. Further plane wave expansion (PWE) technique has been implemented in analysing the nature of the photonic bandgap (PBG) of the photonic structure which is a decisive factor for the calculation of output energy. The results are obtained by appraising the energy level of transmitted light through the photonic crystal structure