Efficient utilization of xylanase and lipase producing thermophilic marine actinomycetes (Streptomyces albus and Streptomyces hygroscopicus) in the production of ecofriendly alternative energy from waste

The marine actinomycetes strain MAC 6 and MAC 14 were used in the production of xylanase and lipase enzyme using wheat bran as an inducer with oats, soy meal and ground nut oil cake. Two strains showed higher xylanase and lipase activity at pH 10.0 and 50°C among 30 actinomycetes screened from sediments of Tiruchendhur coastal areas of Tamil Nadu. The enzymes were produced by solid state fermentation by using 70% of moisture content. More biogas production was observed in oil cake and straw waste with the pretreatment of xylanase and lipase producing strains within short hydraulic retention time.Key words: Biogas, groundnut oilcake, lipase, marine actinomycete, rice straw, solid state fermentation, thermophilic, wheat bran, xylanase

Ecofriendly application of cellulase and xylanase producing marine Streptomyces clavuligerus as enhancer in biogas production from waste

The marine actinomycete strain MAC 9 was used for the production of cellulase and xylanase from wheat bran with inducers oats and soy meal as substrate. Out of 30 actinomycetes screened from sediments of Tiruchendhur coastal areas of Tamil Nadu, India only 8 strains showed both cellulase and xylanase activity. The marine actinomycete exhibited highest enzyme activity at alkaline pH 8-9 with temperature ranging from 40-55°C. The enzymes were used in pretreatment of rice and wheat straw waste for biogas  production. More biogas production was observed in the agricultural waste with the pretreatment of  cellulase, xylanase and the combination of enzymes.Key words: Biogas, cellulase, energy, marine actinomycete, solid state fermentation, thermophilic, wheat bran, xylanase

Perspectives of MBBS Students on The AETCOM Module After the Second Year of The Competency Based Medical Education Curriculum

Knowledge of proper Attitude, Ethics and Communication Skills with the patients plays a vital role in success of medical professionals. So, AETCOM module has been formulated to train the medical students from first MBBS itself as a part of their foundation course. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the change in the students' behaviour towards attitude, ethics and communication at the end of their second professional course. METHODS This cross-sectional observational study was carried out over the course of a month with second-year MBBS students who enrolled in Tagore Medical College in the academic year 2019–20. 100 students were included in this study. The teaching schedule of AETCOM Module had four sessions three hours each. At the end of the module feedback on their perception was obtained by pre validated questionnaire and was analysed. RESULTS: A majority of the students (96.1%) opined that the AETCOM Module will definitely improve their communication skills with the patients. They also felt that such training should be integrated in regular teaching curriculum and done continuously in all the semesters. All the 100 students were given the same questionnaire. Most (30) of the first-year students joined the foundation course late because of the delay in the counselling; whereas, at any given time, 20 students were absent for these teaching sessions. AETCOM Module was satisfactory for 84% of students. For 12% it was just satisfactory, the other extreme, 4% students were highly satisfied. Students’ views on AETCOM were- asset for gaining confidence of the patients (72%), useful for themselves and for future practice (10%), excellent method for improvement of diagnosis (8%), wanted multiple exposures continuously throughout the UG course (6%) and can avoid medicolegal issues (4%). CONCLUSIONS: The AETCOM Module will be good for the second year MBBS students on the whole for communicating better with the patients in their medical course. Strengths of this study include feedback from the students for further improvement in the long-term outcome

EFFICACY OF TRIDHAM AND 1,2,3,4,6-PENTA-O-GALLOYL-β-D-GLUCOSE IN REVERSING LIPID PEROXIDATION LEVELS AND MITOCHONDRIAL ANTIOXIDANT STATUS IN 7,12-DIMETHYLBENZENEANTHRACENE (DMBA) INDUCED BREAST CANCER IN SPRAGUE-DAWLEY RATS

Objective: To determine the effect of Tridham (TD) and 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-β-d-glucose(PGG) on lipid peroxidation levels and mitochondrial antioxidants status in experimental mammary carcinoma.Methods: Elaecoarpus ganitrus (fruits), Terminalia chebula (seed coats), Prosopis cineraria (leaves), adult female albino rats of Sprague-Dawley strain weighing 170–190 g and 7,12-dimethylbenzeneanthracene (DMBA) were used for this study. Group I control rats, Group II rats mammary carcinoma induced with DMBA (25 mg in 1 ml olive oil) by gastric intubation. Group III, IV and V DMBA induced rats were treated with TD (400 mg/kg. b. wt/day), PGG (30 mg/kg. b. wt/day) and standard drug, Cyclophosphamide (30 mg/kg. b. wt/day), respectively for 48 d by gastric intubation. Group VI and VII rats served as TD and PGG treated controls, respectively for 48 d by gastric intubation. At the end of the experimental period, the rats were anaesthetized and sacrificed. Mammary glands were isolated and used for biochemical assays and histopathological evaluation.Results: In rats with cancer, the lipid peroxide levels (LPO) were significantly increased and mitochondrial antioxidant levels were decreased. Treatment with TD and PGG decreased LPO levels and increased mitochondrial antioxidant status in mammary carcinoma bearing rats. Histopathological analysis also confirmed the therapeutic effect of TD and PGG. No significant adverse effect was observed in sole drug treated group of rats.Conclusion: TD and PGG have definite therapeutic effect in experimental mammary carcinoma and inhibit growth of cancer cells by restoring mitochondrial antioxidant status and energy metabolism to normal states

THERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF TRIDHAM AND 1,2,3,4,6-PENTA-O-GALLOYL-Î’-D-GLUCOSE ON ALTERED ENERGY METABOLISM IN MAMMARY CARCINOMA BEARING RATS

ABSTRACTObjective: Emerging evidence indicates that cancer is primarily a metabolic disease involving disturbances in energy production, and hence,reprogramming of cellular energy metabolism is deemed to be one of the principal hallmarks of cancer. Tridham (TD) has been used by traditionalpractitioners of Siddha medicine against various ailments. Hence, the present study has been designed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of TD onaltered energy metabolism in mammary carcinoma-bearing rats.Methods: Adult female albino rats of Sprague-Dawley strain weighing 170-190 g were used and 7,12-dimethylbenzeneanthracene (DMBA) was used forinduction of mammary carcinoma and rats were divided into seven groups. Group I - control rats, Group II - DMBA-induced rats, Group III - DMBA- andTD-treated rats, Group IV - DMBA- and 1,2,3,4,6-Penta-O-galloyl-β-d-glucose (PGG)-treated rats, Group V - DMBA- and cyclophosphamide-treated rats,Groups VI and VII are TD and PGG control rats.Results: Significant (p<0.05) increase in the glycolytic enzymes, hexokinase, phosphoglucoisomerase and aldolase, was observed in tumor-bearingrats whereas gluconeogenic enzymes, glucose-6-phosphatase and fructose-1,6-biphosphatase, were significantly decreased. The activities of themitochondrial Krebs cycle enzymes, isocitrate dehydrogenase, α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, succinate dehydrogenase, and malate dehydrogenase,and respiratory chain enzymes, nicotinamide dinucleotide dehydrogenase and cytochrome c oxidase, were significantly reduced in tumor tissue ofthe mammary carcinoma-bearing rats. These biochemical disturbances were effectively counteracted by TD and PGG which restore the activities of allthese enzymes to the respective control levels.Conclusion: TD and PGG effectively ameliorated the altered glucose metabolism resulting in the regression of breast cancer.Keywords: Breast cancer, Cancer cachexia, Carbohydrate-metabolizing enzymes, Krebs cycle

Night sky at the Indian Astronomical Observatory during 2000-2008

We present an analysis of the optical night sky brightness and extinction coefficient measurements in UBVRI at the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO), Hanle, during the period 2003-2008. They are obtained from an analysis of CCD images acquired at the 2 m Himalayan Chandra Telescope at IAO. Night sky brightness was estimated using 210 HFOSC images obtained on 47 nights and covering the declining phase of solar activity cycle-23. The zenith corrected values of the moonless night sky brightness in mag/square arcsecs are 22.14(U), 22.42(B), 21.28(V), 20.54(R) and 18.86(I) band. This shows that IAO is a dark site for optical observations. No clear dependency of sky brightness with solar activity is found. Extinction values at IAO are derived from an analysis of 1325 images over 58 nights. They are found to be 0.36 in U-band, 0.21 in B-band, 0.12 in V-band, 0.09 in R-band and 0.05 in I-band. On average, extinction during the summer months is slightly larger than that during the winter months. No clear evidence for a correlation between extinction in all bands and the average night time wind speed is found. Also presented here is the low resolution moonless optical night sky spectrum for IAO covering the wavelength range 3000-9300 \AA. Hanle region thus has the required characteristics of a good astronomical site in terms of night sky brightness and extinction, and could be a natural candidate site for any future large aperture Indian optical-infrared telescope(s).Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures, uses basi.cls, accepted for publication in Bulletin of the Astronomical Society of Indi

Study of echocardiography in thalassemia (major/intermedia) patients at tertiary care center

Objective: The objective of this study is to study the cardiovascular complications and to establish the role of echocardiography (ECHO) screening in beta thalassemia major (TM) and intermedia patients, aged 2–12 years, receiving one or more transfusions per month for 2 or more years. Methods: A cross-sectional study was done at tertiary care center from June 2015 to November 2015. Hemoglobin, serum ferritin, and 2D ECHO were done before the blood transfusion. Results: Male preponderance was seen with a ratio of 1.7:1. 87% (n=47) had TM and remaining had thalassemia intermedia (TI). Serum ferritin in TM was >1000 ng/ml in 80.9% (n=38) of cases and <1000 ng/ml in 19% (n=9) of cases. Serum ferritin in TI was above 1000 ng/ml in 42.8% (n=3) and <1000 ng/ml in 57.14% (n=4) of cases. 64% (n=35) had cardiomegaly in X-ray. 2D Echo showed increased LV mass in 71.1% (n=27) of cases and normal LV mass in 28.9% (n=11) of cases. Pulmonary hypertension was seen in 21.2% (n=10) of cases of TM and 42% (n=3) of cases with TI. Conclusion: ECHO combined with electrocardiogram should be used for regular periodic monitoring of transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients

Biogenic synthesis of gold nanoparticles using Sargassum tenerrimum and its evaluation of antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi

1291-1297An important aspect of nanotechnology is the development of a reliable and ecofriendly method for the synthesis of nanomaterials. In the present study, Sargassum tenerrimum extract was used to synthesize gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) by the reduction of AuCl4− ions to Au0. The formation and morphology of the synthesized AuNPs were investigated using \UV–visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The nanoparticles synthesized at 60 °C were spherical in shape while few were also hexagonal in shape with the size ranging between 10 and 40 nm. The antibacterial activity of AuNPs was tested against Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and Salmonella typhi (ATCC 6539). On examination under an epifluorescence microscope, it was found to cause a significant amount of deterioration to the bacterial cells