A review on bioflocculation using microalgae for nutrient removal from waste water.

In recent decades, the eutrophication of surface water has become a major environmental concern. Increased concentration of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous lead to eutrophication condition which highlights the demand for effective and economical methods of removing nitrogen and phosphorous from waste water. Bio flocculation using microalgae is an excellent candidate for satisfying the dual purpose of nutrient removal and waste water treatment. It has so many advantages over conventional methods such as toxic free, no chemical is needed, low cost etc. In this review the bio flocculation of microalgae, its mechanisms, applications and harvesting methods are discussed. Keywords: Bio flocculation, microalgae, nutrient removal, waste water treatment &nbsp

Putative Pore-lining Residues and Intracellular Magnesium Influence Connexin50 Unitary Gap Junction Channel Conductance

Gap junction channels (GJs) are oligomers of connexins forming channels linking neighbouring cells. GJs formed by different connexins show distinct unitary channel conductance (γj), transjunctional-voltage dependent gating (Vj-gating) properties, and magnesium modulation. We investigate here how pore-lining residues may influence these GJ properties. We mutated putative pore-lining residues in Cx50 GJ (G8E/G46E/V53E individually or in combination) to investigate γj, Vj-gating, and magnesium modulation. GJs formed by combination mutants (G8E-G46E, G46E-V53E, and G8E-G46E-V53E) were functional and showed a significantly increased γj with little change in Vj-gating, while G8E-V53E mutants failed to form functional GJs. The γjs of the mutant GJs were reduced up to 30% by inclusion of magnesium in intracellular solution. Studying the individual mutations revealed that magnesium-dependent reduction of γj are due to one or combinations of V53E and/or G46E. Increasing negatively charged glutamate residues at 53rd and/or 46th positions of Cx50 increased magnesium-sensitive ion permeation

A Study on Impact of Maternal Obesity on Pregnancy Outcome

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to analyse whether obese women have an increased risk of pregnancy complications and adverse foetal outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pregnant mothers attending antenatal out- patient department at Raja Mirasudhar Hospital, Thanjavur medical college hospital were selected based on inclusion and exclusion creiteria. Hundred non- obese pregnant women and hundred obese pregnant women were allotted to the control and study group respectively. In the study group, women were allotted according to the class of obesity: CLASS I - BMI 30 to 34.9 Kg/m2, CLASS II - BMI 35 to 39.9 Kg/m2, CLASS III - BMI > 40 Kg/m2. In all women a detailed history followed by complete general and physical examination was done. Relevant haematological, biochemical investigations, USG were done. They were followed up to delivery and postpartum until discharge and outcome studied. RESULTS: In our study obese pregnant woman belonged to older age group and were with increased parity. The incidence of gestational diabetes and gestational hypertension were 13% and 28%. Our study showed increased induction and caesarean section rate in the obese group (control- 10% obese – 48% with p<0.001) compared to control group. In our study 22% of babies born to obese mothers required NICU admissions compared to 7% in the control group with p < 0.001.Early neonatal death constituted 2% in the obese group. CONCLUSION: Our study showed an increased incidence in the morbidities in both obese women and fetus compared to normal BMI pregnant woman. This indicates the importance of pre - conceptional counselling which is the appropriate time for creating awareness regarding the hazards of obesity in pregnancy and ideal time for the interventional measures to be sought. Greater significance and awareness needs to be placed on the importance of normal weight before pregnancy

Comparative study of DIPSI and IADPSG criteria for diagnosis of GDM

GDM is defined as any degree of glucose intolerance with onset or first recognition during pregnancy. The prevalence of GDM varies, widely based on the diagnostic criteria used and the ethnic group studied. It is associated with adverse maternal and perinatal outcome. Incidence of GDM in India is 1-14%. There are several screening and diagnostic tests for GDM. It is important to diagnose early and treat to prevent these complications. The present study was done to compare Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Group India (DIPSI) with International Association of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) criteria for diagnosis of GDM and to assess the validity of these methods.Methods: It was a cross sectional study done in 144 pregnant women who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. They underwent non - fasting OGTT with 75 grams glucose which was given irrespective of the last meal. A venous blood sample was drawn two hours after glucose administration. They were advised to come two to three days later and repeated with 75 grams OGTT after an overnight fast of atleast 8 hours. Venous blood sample was drawn at fasting, one hour and two hours after load with 75 grams of glucose. Plasma glucose was measured by using an autoanalyzer by glucose - oxidase peroxidase (GOD - POD) technique.Results: The epidemiological parameters like Age, BMI, Parity and Gestational age did not have any difference between two groups. 17.4% was diagnosed by DIPSI criteria and 15.3% was diagnosed by IADPSG criteria and 6.9% was diagnosed by both. Sensitivity and specificity of DIPSI was 45% and87% and sensitivity and specificity of IADPSG was 40% and89% respectively. According to kappa statistics, the p-value is 0.000.Conclusions: In present study it was concluded that screening is very essential in all pregnant women due to high prevalence of GDM in India. By comparing these two criteria, sensitivity of DIPSI was found better than IADPSG criteria in diagnosing GDM. Though IADPSG is universally accepted for diagnosis, DIPSI has still got a place in low resource countries as it is easy, cost effective and non fasting test

AerobON Breathe on with AerobON

In this era, a smartphone is all you need to save a life.  We have developed a product that promises to bridge the gap between health and technology, making life simpler. AerobON is a practical add-on to the medical asthma kit. It is a two-tier system -- a mobile application (Android, Windows &amp; IOS platform) and a device (Microcontroller, Bluetooth &amp; battery). When in sync, features like find device, panic button, peak flow meter, puff counter, etc. are available. It’s a one-of-a-kindproduct design that aims to minimize the risk of asthma

TARGETED THERAPY FOR BREAST CANCER CELLS BY HERBAL DRUG FORMULATIONS OF IRON OXIDE NANOPARTICLES

Nanoparticle based drug delivery is the currently focused area in case of various therapeutic and diagnostic techniques. Iron oxide nanoparticles are used as carriers in drug delivery due to their unique properties and negligible side effects. We analyze the potential therapeutic properties of methanolic extracts of Centella asiatica loaded with PVP iron oxide nanoparticles against human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and the results were compared with normal cell lines. Characterization of coated nanoparticles was done by UV-VIS spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy and Particle size analyzer. Loading of herbal drug extract to nanoparticles was confirmed using TEM, Particle size analyzer, FTIR and Biochemical assays. Initially, dose depended hydrogen per oxide free radical scavenging activity were recorded. Methanolic extracts of Centella asiatica showed 55, 59, 71 and 80% inhibition respectively. MTT assay was performed to estimate the drug loading efficiency for PVP coated iron oxide nanoparticle at 1hr and 24 hrs. At 10µl concentration methanolic extracts of Centella asiatica loaded PVP coated iron oxide nanoparticles exhibited significant cell necrosis in breast cancer cell line MCF-7 as 60%. In case of normal cell lines L929, the cytotoxicity was reduced to 10.42 respectively. This work was aimed to increase the efficiency, reduce side effects of chemotherapeutic drugs and provide conveniences for the future therapeutics by coupling herbal drug with polymer coated nanoparticles.Â

RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION UHF TAG USING RCEAT

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) UHF Tag based on RCEAT technique is proposed in this paper. RCEAT means Reliable and Cost Effective Anti-collision technique. The proposed system is designed with the help of Verilog HDL. The System is simulated using Modelsim SE 6.3f and it synthesized using XST. The RCEAT system is classified into two subsystems. One is Pre and another one is Post . By using Pre we have to detect the errors from incoming messages. And using Post we identify the tag. Key words: Verilog HDL,CRC remover

Role of intranasal midazolam as a procedural sedative in children aged 6 months to 12 years: An open-label randomized controlled study

Objectives: The objectives of the study were to evaluate the efficacy and the adverse effects of intranasal midazolam compared to intravenous (IV) midazolam for procedural sedation in children between 6 months and 12 years of age using the University of Michigan sedation scale. Design: Prospective open-label randomized controlled trial. Setting: Children requiring sedation for any invasive or non-invasive procedure in the Department of Paediatrics, between June 2012 and May 2014. Participants: A total of 246 children aged between 6 months and 12 years of age were enrolled and sequentially allocated into the study by computer-generated block randomization. Intervention: As per randomization, participants were administered intranasal or IV midazolam before the procedure. Procedure was done 5 min after IV and 15 min after intranasal administration. Main outcome measures: Sedation score was rated using the University of Michigan Sedation Score. The ease of performance, numbers of successfully completed procedures, and adverse effects were noted. Results: Intranasal midazolam provided better sedation scores (p&lt;0.001) and ease of procedure scores (p=0.026) compared to IV, especially in the age group from 6 months to 6 years. Both groups gave comparable successful procedure completion rates. The most commonly encountered side effect with intranasal was nasal irritation (p&lt;0.001). Conclusion: Intranasal midazolam provided significantly better sedation and ease of procedure scores when compared to IV, with fewer adverse effects. Hence, it can be put to use in resource-limited settings