A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW ON NOVEL MICROSPONGES DRUG DELIVERY APPROACH

ABSTRACTMicrosponges drug delivery approach (MDA) has been introduced in topical products to facilitate the controlled and targeted release of activedrug into the skin to decrease systemic exposure and minimize local cutaneous reaction. Microsponges are highly cross-linked, polymeric sponge,porous in nature, spherical shape consisting of high drug content within their interconnecting voids, releasing bioactive agent at a target site withinpredetermined time. They are mostly used for prolonged topical administration, enhanced efficacy for topically therapeutic agent with safety, stabilityand reduced side effects followed by improved aesthetic properties in an efficient and novel manner. More ever, it is found to be stable over wide pHrange and compatible with most vehicles. We here complied recent data regarding properties of microsponges, their methodology pharmaceuticalapplication and list of patent till date.Keywords: Microsponges, Bioactive, Porous, Interconnecting voids, Aesthetic

An In-Depth Study of Farmers’ Knowledge and Attitudes towards Organic Farming in Uttar Pradesh, India

Organic farming has the ability to reduce the adverse consequences of modern farming methods and to support rural development. This study attempts to investigate the farmers’ knowledge and attitude towards organic agriculture where limited prior research had been conducted, in Mirzapur District of Uttar Pradesh, India. Out of 12 blocks in the district, two blocks namely Pahari and Manjhwa, were chosen purposively for the study. From each block two villages and from each village, 30 farmers were selected. A total of 120 respondents formed the sample. The results revealed that a majority of farmers were well aware of organic farming and have a favorable attitude toward organic farming. There exists an association between age, education & annual income and the factors influencing the attitude of farmers toward organic farming

An In-Depth Study of Farmers’ Knowledge and Attitudes towards Organic Farming in Uttar Pradesh, India

Organic farming has the ability to reduce the adverse consequences of modern farming methods and to support rural development. This study attempts to investigate the farmers’ knowledge and attitude towards organic agriculture where limited prior research had been conducted, in Mirzapur District of Uttar Pradesh, India. Out of 12 blocks in the district, two blocks namely Pahari and Manjhwa, were chosen purposively for the study. From each block two villages and from each village, 30 farmers were selected. A total of 120 respondents formed the sample. The results revealed that a majority of farmers were well aware of organic farming and have a favorable attitude toward organic farming. There exists an association between age, education & annual income and the factors influencing the attitude of farmers toward organic farming

Factors affecting on compliance of childhood immunization in Ilam District of Nepal: a case-control study

Childhood immunization is one of the most important public health interventions to reduce child morbidity and mortality. Reaching all children with full immunization services is critical to meet Nepal's commitment to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study aimed to identify factors affecting compliance with childhood immunization in children aged 16 to 36 months in Nepal. A community-based unmatched case-control study was conducted with 250 (83 cases and 167 controls) respondents in the Ilam district of Nepal. Respondents were randomly selected using a multi-stage cluster sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed using SPSS version 16 statistical software. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were done to identify the factors influencing compliance with childhood immunization of the sampled respondents. More than two-thirds (66.8%) of the sampled children were fully immunized, and 19.3% of the children defaulted to the Measles-Rubella vaccines. Only 19.2% of the respondents had good knowledge about the type of vaccine, and more than half (59.2%) of the respondents had a positive attitude towards immunization. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that lack of knowledge about vaccines (AOR = 49.4, 95% CI = 12.94 to 188.59), father's level of education (AOR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.05 to 4.30), not getting immunization on the day of the appointment (AOR = 4.8, 95% CI =2.30 to 9.89), lack of knowledge about immunization schedule (AOR = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.14 to 4.84), and negative attitude towards immunization (AOR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.03 to 4.19) were independently impeded on compliance on the childhood immunization. Targeted intervention in health promotion activities at the household level should be promoted and integrated immunization services into the existing primary health care services

Effect of harvesting time and desapping on sapburn and quality in mango (Mangifera indica) cv. Langra

Sapburn is one of the most important problems in mango (Mangifera indica L.) which severely downgrade its quality and reduces its market value. In the present study, two experiments were conducted to study the effect of harvesting time on sap flow quantity; and its control through simple desapping treatment. The sap flow was recorded higher from the mango fruits (cv. Langra) harvested during morning hours. For the second experiment, mature mango fruits were harvested with 8 - 10 cm pedicel attached and treated with aqueous solutions of sodium hydroxide (1% and 2%) and potassium hydroxide (1% and 2%) by immersion method, after removing the pedicel. For control, sap was allowed to flow freely over the fruit surface. During storage of fruit at ambient condition (25±2°C) for 12 days, fruits desapped with 1% sodium hydroxide (NaOH) showed about 11-fold lower sapburn injury than control. Treatment with NaOH did not significantly affect TSS, acidity and carotenoids content in the fruit. However, it maintained significantly higher ascorbic acid, total phenolics content and antioxidant activity than control

Effectiveness of Additive Manufactured Titanium Implants in the Reconstruction of Large Cranial Defects: Case Series and Review of Literature

Introduction Replacement of lost soft and hard tissues of the human body has always been a daunting task across all surgical specialties. Reconstruction of a cranial deformity is challenging due to the functional and cosmetic requirements. A major constraint with large cranial bony deformity reconstruction is the nonavailability of graft of a specific shape and size. Materials and Method A total of four cases of large cranial defects which included three cases of unilateral and one case of midline residual deformity were reconstructed at our center using customized titanium implants. These implants were fabricated using additive manufacturing/3D printing technology utilizing computerized tomographic data. Conclusion The additively manufactured titanium implants appear to be a viable option in the reconstruction of large cranial defects

Meta-Analysis of Biochar as an Amendment for Arsenic Mitigation in Paddy Soils

Purpose of Review The purpose of this review is to evaluate the effectiveness of biochar in immobilizing arsenic (As) in contaminated paddy soils and its impact on As availability and bioaccumulation in rice, as well as rice plant biomass. Recent Findings Recent studies have focused on managing As contamination in agricultural fields, with a particular focus on South and Southeast Asia, where rice, a primary food source and As accumulator, is of significant concern. Biochar, a product of biomass pyrolysis, has emerged as a viable solution for environmental remediation due to its effectiveness in immobilizing metal(loid)s in water and soil. The successful implementation of biochar as a soil amendment strategy has led to growing interest in its use as an effective means of reducing the bioaccumulation and availability of metal(loid)s, including As. Summary A meta-analysis of 25 studies revealed that biochar generated from maize and sewage sludge successfully reduced As availability and bioaccumulation in rice grains. In addition, the use of biochar led to higher biomass and yield of rice crops compared to control groups. Modified biochar was more effective in decreasing As availability, likely due to interactions with iron and calcium phases or complexes occurring in or on the biochars. Nevertheless, at elevated biochar dosages, As mobilization was noted in field conditions which warrants further investigation

Effects of annealing time on the structure and optical properties of ZnAl2O4/ZnO prepared via citrate sol-gel process

ZnAl2O4 nano-powders have been successfully prepared via citrate sol-gel technique. All powder samples were annealed at 600 °C for 1, 2, and 3 h. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) confirmed that the minimum annealing temperature of crystallization is ∼400 °C. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) results showed a series of absorption peaks in the range of 810–4000 cm−1. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) results showed that the prepared nano-crystals consists of the mixture of both cubic (ZnAl2O4) and hexagonal (ZnO) structures. Ultra violet visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy revealed that the annealing time (AT) influences the band gap of the prepared phosphor materials. When the samples were excited at 275 nm, two emission peaks at 428 nm (violet) and 561 nm (green-yellow) were observed and they are attributed to the defects levels within the ZnO and ZnAl2O4 band gaps. The Commission Internationale de l’Elcairage (CIE) colour coordinates confirmed that all the prepared samples exhibit the violet emission and varying the AT does not influence the emission colour.The South African National Research Foundation (NRF) Thuthuka Programme (fund number: UID99266).https://www.elsevier.com/locate/mtcomm2019-03-01hj2018Physic