Waste Water Reuse: Extension Approach to Depleting Water Resources

Vellore is a district in Tamil Nadu, India consisting of mainly villages having agriculture as the chief occupation. Dug wells are the major irrigation source. Numerous tanneries also throng the area which again necessitates large quantity of water to fulfill its requirements. Long-term water level fluctuations indicate lowering of water table in Vellore. Development of ground water in the district seeks immediate attention. Establishment of a wastewater reuse program and usage of reclaimed wastewater is a significant and reliable alternative solution. This practice has found implementation in developed nations but developing countries lack in community based application. In Vellore, the industrial wastewater from tanneries is collected in CETP’s (Common Effluent Treatment Plants). In Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT, Vellore) a smaller scale wastewater treatment process is carried out using biological means. Kitchen and Bathroom wastewater is treated. (BOD: 30mg/L; COD: 250mg/L) and used mainly for watering the lawns. Such wastewater reuse to be taken up in a wider scale in the various regions to combat water shortage. Effective extension of this technique needs to be taken up for community based applications. Lowering water tables can be managed, and water for irrigation can be made available round the year through such implementations

Herbal-induced Stevens-Johnson syndrome with oral involvement and management in an HIV patient

Background: Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) is an immune complex-mediated hypersensitivity reaction affecting the skin and mucous membranes. Patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are at increased risk of developing SJS which is predominantly caused by an adverse reaction to medications, including herbal varieties. In recent years, the consumption of herbal medicines has increased, while their safety remains a matter for investigation. Purpose: The purpose of this case report is to explain the occurrence of SJS caused by herbal medicine. Case: A 43-year-old male patient with body-wide skin erosion was referred to the Department of Oral Medicine and subsequently diagnosed with Stevens-Johnson syndrome due to his consumption of a herbal medicine containing zingiber rhizoma, coboti rhizoma, asari herbal and epimedi. The patient’s chief complaints included difficulty when opening the mouth, dysphagia and excessive production of saliva continuously contaminated with blood and sputum. Extraoral examination showed a sanguinolenta crust on the lips. Intra oral examination of oral mucous showed erosive lesions with bleeding and pain. A HIV test performed at a Clinical Pathology Laboratory was positive for antibodies against HIV with a CD4 cell count of 11 cells/ml. Case management: Treatment consisted of the administering of NaCl 0.9 %, hydrocortisone 0.1% and Chlorhexidine digluconate 0.12% for 12  days. Conclusion: SJS can be caused by herbal medicine and it is essential to be aware of the latter’s potential adverse effects, especially in immunocompromised patients. Symptomatic management of oral lesions should be planned as an early intervention in order to decrease morbidity and mortality in SJS patients

Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Native Food Products for Probiotic Properties

Certain properties relevant to probiotic action, e.g. resistance to acid, bile tolerance, antibacterial activity, and antibiotic susceptibility were investigated of lactobacilli isolated from three kinds of Indian traditional fermented foods. Media of pH = 2.0–7.0 and bile salt concentrations of 0.3–1.0% were used as stress conditions. Antibacterial activity of the probiotic lactobacilli was determined by means of the Well diffusion test. The results revealed that the antibacterial activity of the three selected lactobacilli could inhibit all test pathogenic bacteria however at different inhibition levels. Among 7 isolates, only 3 strains (two from paneer and one from Ragi porridge) showed extremely high survival rates under stress caused by acid or bile salts. The three strains inhibited test pathogenic bacteria to different extents. They were sensitive to chloramphenicol, quinupristin, Chloramphenicol, Tetracyclin, Rifampicin and Streptomycin but resistant to Gentamicin, Vancomycin, Ciproflaxin and Penicillin

Housekeeping and other metabolic functions of the Plasmodium plastid

The malaria parasite carries a plastid called the apicoplast that has been the subject of intense study in the last 15 years. Having originated from red-algal plastids, the apicoplast has lost its ability to photosynthesize, but carries out other essential functions such as type-II fatty acid synthesis, biosynthesis of haem and isoprenoid synthesis; the DOXP pathway for isoprenoid synthesis has recently been demonstrated to be the only pathway critical for parasite survival in the erythrocytic stage. The apicoplast also has a functional Suf system for assembly of (Fe–S) complexes on target proteins. The organelle has a 35 kb, double-stranded DNA genome that encodes a set of RNAs and proteins, the latter being translated from organellar mRNA by an active translation machinery, a major component of which is encoded by the nucleus. This article reviews current knowledge of housekeeping functions of the Plasmodium apicoplast and its (Fe–S) assembly system and discusses these components as sites for drug intervention against malaria

Expansion of HIV Laboratory Diagnostic Services in Chennai, India 2001–2006: Is the Growth Commensurate with the Need?

Objective: To describe the changes in HIV services provided and the patient population utilizing voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) services at private testing laboratories in Chennai, India in 2001 and 2006. Methods: In 2001, a cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted to assess the services provided and client population of 1,031 private laboratories. A subset of labs (9%) that had been surveyed in 2001 were also studied in 2006. Results: In 2001, significantly more high volume labs (.10 HIV tests per month) offered HIV diagnostic tests than low volume labs (,10 HIV test per month) (p,0.001). More high volume labs (20.0%) provided pre-test counseling as part of HIV testing than low volume labs (11.1%) (p = 0.003). Between 2001 and 2006, the number of labs that provided HIV diagnostic tests significantly increased, including ELISA (87.8 % vs. 40.0%), Western Blot (84.4 % vs. 13.3%), and Tridot (98.9 % vs. 72.2%) (p,0.001). Also the number of labs that reported greater than 10 women seeking HIV testing per month significantly increased from 14.5 % to 79.0 % (p = 0.006). More labs provided pre-test counseling in 2006 (34.4%) than in 2001 (21.1%) (p = 0.046). Conclusions: Though HIV diagnostic testing services have increasingly become available, counseling services have not expanded commensurately. Further outreach and education is necessary to expand comprehensive HIV VCT services in bot

An Approach to Addressing Ethical Issues in a Community-based Risk Assessment for HIV

Community-based assessment of HIV prevalence and behavioural risk factors is the basis for deciding priorities of prevention and care programmes. Here, upholding the human rights of participants in assessment is of utmost importance. The objective of the paper was to describe the process of implementation of an epidemiological survey to assess HIV-related behavioural and biological factors in Chennai city in South India and to suggest an ethical framework for conducting similar assessment activities in developing-country settings. A survey was conducted with participation from residents (n=1,659) of low-income urban communities (slums) as part of a community-based HIV/STD-prevention trial. Administration of the survey was preceded by extensive community contact and household visits to inform community members about the trial and assessment activities. Formative research further strengthened rapport with community, highlighted community concerns, and identified HIV-related risk behaviours that informed questionnaire design. The process of obtaining informed consent began before assessment activities and provided an opportunity for individuals to discuss participation with their families and friends. Privacy during assessment, comprehensive follow-up care for those who tested positive for HIV/STDs, such as nutritional and prevention counselling, referral services for opportunistic infections, and antenatal-care options for pregnant women increased trust and credibility of the project. The sustained availability of trial staff to facilitate access to resources to address non-HIV/STD-related felt-needs further strengthened participation of the community members. These resources included liaison services with local government to obtain public services, such as water and electricity and resources, to address concerns, such as alcohol abuse and domestic violence. Based on this experience, an ethical framework is suggested for conducting HIV epidemiological risk assessment in developing countries. This framework discusses the role of community participation, transparent and comprehensive informed consent, timely dissemination of results, and access to follow-up care for those living with HIV/STDs