Evaluation of anti-tumor activity of ethanolic extract of Glycyrrhiza glabra against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma in swiss albino mice

Background: Cancer is one of the most life threatening diseases which is in need of newer drug development. The use of plant products with potent antioxidant and cytotoxic activity is upcoming Studies reveal that herbal product have increased efficacy as well as decreased side effects, with this in mind the present study was undertaken to assess the antitumor activity of extracts of Glycyrrhiza glabra (GG) against ehrlich ascites carcinoma in swiss albino mice.Methods: The extracts of roots of GG was collected and acute toxicity study was done following which the antitumor effect of extracts of GG was assessed by change in the body weight, mean survival time (MST), and percentage increased life span (% ILS). MST of each group containing six mice was monitored by recording the mortality daily for 6 weeks and % ILS was calculated. The hematological parameters and biochemical assays were also measured.Results: Extracts of GG showed a significant reduction in % increase in tumor induced body weight of the mice. The % increase in life span was also significant in the higher dose of GG (500 mg/kg). The combination of GG with standard drug cisplatin had better efficacy in terms of % ILS, hematological and biochemical parameters. The results obtained were statistically significant.Conclusions: The antitumor activity studies measuring the viability of cancer cells when exposed to the ethanolic extract of Glycyrrhiza glabra showed a potent cell-killing effect, indicating the presence of anti-cancer principles in the preparation

Prediction of outcomes in acute exacerbation of COPD with DECAF score and BAP 65 score in a rural population

Background: Prognostic research in exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) requiring hospitalization has been limited and there appears to be little common ground between predictors of mortality in stable disease and during AECOPD. Furthermore, none of the prognostic tools developed in stable disease have been tested on hospitalised patients, and most require clinical measurements not routinely available at hospital admission. This study intends to test dyspnoea, eosinopenia, consolidation, acidemia, and atrial fibrillation (DECAF) and biological assessment profile (BAP) 65 Scores on Indian patients in a tertiary care set up and validate the same to be used as a routine and effective score in predicting the outcome in AECOPD.  Methods: Hospital based prospective observational study was carried out in 100 patients with AECOPD who was present to general medicine. DECAF and BAP-65 Scores were calculated. Data was analyzed using SPSS 22 version software.Results: In our study both DECAF score and BAP‑65 score performed equally well for prediction of need for Mechanical Ventilation. The AUROC for need for Mechanical Ventilation was 0.77 (95% CI=0.67–0.84) for DECAF score and 0.77 (95% CI=0.67–0.85) for BAP‑65 score. The AUROC for prediction of mortality for DECAF score was 0.83 (95% confidence interval [CI]=0.74–0.89) and for BAP‑65 score was 0.79 (95% CI=0.69–0.86).Conclusions: DECAF and BAP-65 are good and also equal in predicting mortality as well as need for mechanical ventilation. Both scores can be easily applicable in AECOPD patients, so that death during hospitalization for AECOPD and need for mechanical ventilation can be minimized.

Fuzzy Controlled 1-Φ Integrated AC/DC PFC Converter

Design and performance analysis of 1-Φ, single switch, isolate integrated AC/DC converter is presented in this work. In this proposed topology voltage across the bulk capacitor is low and having single switch, hence reduce in controller complexity and cost. Because of the robust and effective than conventional controllers, in this paper the fuzzy controller (FLC) is proposed to generate control signal to switch. The proposed converter has been implemented and evaluated using a Texas Instruments (TI) TMS320F2812. The proposed system is designed for input of (90–230 V, AC), 50 Hz, output of 48 V (DC) and operating at 100 kHz and verified experimentally & simulation at various load conditions. The designs and realizes digital (TMS320F2812) fuzzy controlled 1-Φ, single switch, integrated AC/DC converter meet the international regularity standards for class-C & D appliances

Fuzzy Controlled 1-Φ Integrated AC/DC PFC Converter

837-842Design and performance analysis of 1-Φ, single switch, isolate integrated AC/DC converter is presented in this work. In this proposed topology voltage across the bulk capacitor is low and having single switch, hence reduce in controller complexity and cost. Because of the robust and effective than conventional controllers, in this paper the fuzzy controller (FLC) is proposed to generate control signal to switch. The proposed converter has been implemented and evaluated using a Texas Instruments (TI) TMS320F2812. The proposed system is designed for input of (90–230 V, AC), 50 Hz, output of 48 V (DC) and operating at 100 kHz and verified experimentally & simulation at various load conditions. The designs and realizes digital (TMS320F2812) fuzzy controlled 1-Φ, single switch, integrated AC/DC converter meet the international regularity standards for class-C & D appliances

Importance of Canopy Attributes in Determining Dry Matter Accumulation of Pigeonpea under Contrasting Moisture Regimes

Using two automated rain-out shelters, 6 genotypes of pigeon peas (Cajanus cajan) were grown under well-watered conditions or with water deficit imposed from flowering until maturity at the ICRISAT Asia Center, India. Water deficit significantly decreased the cumulative intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (CIR). The relationship between biomass accumulation and CIR was linear and water deficit affected the slope of the relationship (i.e., radiation use efficiency, RUE) (b = 1.92 g MJ sup(-1) for well watered vs. 1.43 g MJ sup(-1) for water deficit). Genotypes differed in RUE under well watered (1.70-2.19 g MJ sup(-1)) and moisture deficit (1.30-1.66 g MJ sup(-1)) conditions. Genotypic variation in canopy attributes was significant. Leaf area duration significantly correlated with crop growth rate (CGR) only under well watered conditions. Cumulative intercepted radiation and RUE accounted for nearly 99% of the genotypic variation in CGR under both moisture regimes, of which RUE alone contributed nearly 90%. Variation among genotypes in CIR alone did not explain the differences in dry matter accumulation under either moisture regime. Only RUE explained more than 90% of the genotypic variation in CGR and 70% in total dry matter under both moisture regimes. The results indicated that RUE is critical in determining pigeonpea productivity under well-watered and moisture-deficit regimes

National action plans for antimicrobial resistance and variations in surveillance data platforms

Objective To assess how national antimicrobial susceptibility data used to inform national action plans vary across surveillance platforms. Methods We identified available open-access, supranational, interactive surveillance platforms and cross-checked their data in accordance with the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) Data Quality Assurance: module 1. We compared platform usability and completeness of time-matched data on the antimicrobial susceptibilities of four blood isolate species: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae from WHO’s Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System, European Centre for Disease Control’s (ECDC’s) network and Pfizer’s Antimicrobial Testing Leadership and Surveillance database. Using Bland–Altman analysis, paired t-tests, and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, we assessed susceptibility data and number of isolate concordances between platforms. Findings Of 71 countries actively submitting data to WHO, 28 also submit to Pfizer’s database; 19 to ECDC; and 16 to all three platforms. Limits of agreement between WHO’s and Pfizer’s platforms for organism–country susceptibility data ranged from −26% to 35%. While mean susceptibilities of WHO’s and ECDC‘s platforms did not differ (bias: 0%, 95% confidence interval: −2 to 2), concordance between organism–country susceptibility was low (limits of agreement −18 to 18%). Significant differences exist in isolate numbers reported between WHO–Pfizer (mean of difference: 674, P-value: < 0.001 and WHO–ECDC (mean of difference: 192, P value: 0.04) platforms. Conclusion The considerable heterogeneity of nationally submitted data to commonly used antimicrobial resistance surveillance platforms compromises their validity, thus undermining local and global antimicrobial resistance strategies. Hence, we need to understand and address surveillance platform variability and its underlying mechanisms

Spirometry reference equations for central European populations from school age to old age.

Spirometry reference values are important for the interpretation of spirometry results. Reference values should be updated regularly, derived from a population as similar to the population for which they are to be used and span across all ages. Such spirometry reference equations are currently lacking for central European populations. To develop spirometry reference equations for central European populations between 8 and 90 years of age. We used data collected between January 1993 and December 2010 from a central European population. The data was modelled using "Generalized Additive Models for Location, Scale and Shape" (GAMLSS). The spirometry reference equations were derived from 118'891 individuals consisting of 60'624 (51%) females and 58'267 (49%) males. Altogether, there were 18'211 (15.3%) children under the age of 18 years. We developed spirometry reference equations for a central European population between 8 and 90 years of age that can be implemented in a wide range of clinical settings