Comparative studies on inducers in the production of naringinase from Aspergillus niger MTCC 1344

This research provides detailed systematic study of the effect of different inducers (hesperidin, naringenin, naringin, rhamnose and rutin) in naringinase production by Aspergillus niger MTCC 1344. Cultures were carried out in shake flasks and they produce extracellular naringinase in a complex (molasses, peptone and salts) medium. The optimized concentration (%) of naringin, rhamnose, naringenin, rutin and hesperidin for   maximized naringinase production are 0.1, 0.375, 0.01, 0.2 and 0.2, respectively. Compared with control,  inducers increased the naringinase production by many folds in the order of naringin (6.63) > rhamnose (4.87) > naringenin (3.26) > rutin (2.84) > hesperidin (2.35). Under optimum conditions, about 9.68 units of enzyme per ml complex medium containing naringin were obtained on the 7th day. The activity to inducer (A/I) ratio was 968 Ug-1 naringin, and the cultivation time was shorter in submerged production. The results indicate that naringinase activity used naringin as an inducer which was significantly higher than the other four inducers. Therefore naringin is recommended for naringinase production.Key words: Naringin, naringenin, rutin, hesperidin, rhamnose, naringinase, Aspergillus, inducer, molasses

Impact Of Air Pollution In Tamil Nadu

This paper outlines the impact of air pollution in Tamil Nadu. Air pollution is the any form of solid, liquid and gaseous substance present in the atmosphere that may or tend to be injurious to human beings, other living creatures, plants, property or the environment in general. Air pollution is probably one of the most serious environmental problems confronting our civilization today. Most often, it is caused by human activitiessuch as mining, construction, transportation, industrial work, agriculture, smelting, etc. However, natural processes such as volcanic eruptions and wildfires may also pollute the air, but their occurrence is rare and they usually have a local effect, unlike human activities that are ubiquitous causes of air pollution and contribute to the global pollution of the air every single day

Distorted and Victimized Lives of Women in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid's Tale

This study intends to evaluate Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale from the viewpoint of feminist theorist Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex, which offers a more nuanced perspective on sexuality and gender. Beauvoir's philosophy centres on the societal systems of oppression that designate women as ‘Other’ to a male reputation. According to her, femininity is something that society imposes on women, and feminism cannot be reduced to a basic biological statement. According to her, ‘Other’ best reflects the primary social function of a woman. She disputes the vocabulary that defines women based on their biology and asserts that biology is the primary cause of women's subjugation in patriarchal societies. She believes that sexuality contributes to the subjugation and exploitation of women. According to Beauvoir, the prostitution business and the heterosexual lifestyle are the two most visible instances of women's exploitation. Clearly, she rejects the notion that heterosexuality is the norm in sexual encounters. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how Atwood employs conjecture to examine feminist issues in The Handmaid's Tale, such as women's identity loss, subordination in a patriarchal society, and exploitation in a consumer culture where the female body is considered an object. In her novel, Atwood examines issues pertaining to the subjugation of women, such as gender inequality and the flaws of the patriarchal system

Clustering Techniques for Recommendation of Movies

A recommendation system employs a variety of algorithms to provide users with recommendations of any kind. The most well-known technique, collaborative filtering, involves users with similar preferences although it is not always as effective when dealing with large amounts of data. Improvements to this approach are required as the dataset size increases. Here, in our suggested method, we combine a hierarchical clustering methodology with a collaborative filtering algorithm for making recommendations. Additionally, the Principle Component Analysis (PCA) method is used to condense the dimensions of the data to improve the accuracy of the outcomes. The dataset will receive additional benefits from the clustering technique when using hierarchical clustering, and the PCA will help redefine the dataset by reducing its dimensionality as needed. The primary elements utilized for recommendations can be enhanced by applying the key elements of these two strategies to the conventional collaborative filtering recommendation algorithm. The suggested method will unquestionably improve the precision of the findings received from the conventional CFRA and significantly increase the effectiveness of the recommendation system. The total findings will be applied to the combined dataset of TMDB and Movie Lens, which is utilized to suggest movies to the user in accordance with the rating patterns that each individual user has generated

Study of Correlation between Postpartum Depression, Serum Thyroid Levels and Significant Life Events.

INTRODUCTION: Pregnancy and child birth are complex events and it is associated With physical and psychological events. And during this period, profound Biological and emotional transition occurs in mother. To become a Mother is a major life event and it is not only important for the particular Family but also for the society and survival of the mankind. Postpartum period was surrounded by magical and mythical Thinking. During this postnatal period there is a substantial increase in the\ud Risk for the psychiatric problems particularly mood disorders. The three classifications of postpartum illness are the blues, Postpartum depression and puerperal psychosis. Around 70 to 80% of Women experience transient depressive symptoms after child birth that Can be resolved without any treatment; they are called as baby blues [1]. These depressive symptoms persist for 10 to 20% of women and they Require intervention. These kinds of individuals meet the criteria of Postpartum Depression (PPD). Studies show that 13% of women can get affected and have Complicated health issues due to postpartum depression. More importance Has been placed on the detection and treatment of postnatal depression Since it causes increased maternal morbidity. Postpartum depression affects not only the women but the Infants Also will emotionally and even cognitively get affected. Sometimes Severe outcomes of postpartum depression include high risk of marital Disturbance and divorce, maternal suicide and causes emotional and Behavioural problems in their child. Some standard treatments like Psychotherapy and antidepressants are available to recover from Postpartum depression. Such depression is under diagnosed and so more Screening is needed. Depending upon the count of the sample and the nature of the Assessment done, rate of depression will vary [2]. It is most important to Diagnose the depression in the postnatal period since it can produce the Adverse long term effects and there is a chance of recurrent depression to Occur. Identification of risk and protective factors are needed to avoid Postpartum depression. Identifying postpartum depression is difficult since many women Who delivered the baby will have the problem of sleep disturbance, lack Of appetite and low energy. Severe Postpartum depression can be easily Noticed but mild depressive symptoms can be easily missed out since it May be considered as normal consequences of child birth. There is a paucity of Indian studies on the subject of postpartum Depression which interested us to take up this study

Study on the Role of High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein in Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

BACKGROUND : Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease remains the second most common disorder affecting the lungs,next only to pulmonary tuberculosis in India. Patients with COPD will experience a systemic inflammation. Recently hs-CRP measuring methods have made it possible to assess this protein even in lower levels of inflammation. AIMS OF THE STUDY : Our aim is to study the levels of hs-CRP in acute exacerbation of COPD patients and to assess the correlation of hs-CRP with the severity of the disease and also with respect to other variables such as age, sex, BMI and smoking habits. MATERIALS AND METHODS : Patients with clinically diagnosed and spirometrically confirmed cases of COPD with acute exacerbation were included in the study and classified based on GOLD staging. This was a cross sectional study, conducted in Thanjavur medical college and hospital between October 2011 and November 2012. The sample size was 70 patients. Serum hs-CRP levels were measured by nephelometry method. Those patients with serum hs-CRP levels >0.3mg/dl are considered as high risk individuals. RESULTS : The levels of hs-CRP were significantly elevated in acute exacerbation of COPD.There exists a positive correlation with severity of the disease, male COPD patients, obese individuals and smokers. There was no association of hs– CRP levels with age and duration of the disease. CONCLUSION : Serum hs-CRP levels may be used as a simple auxiliary marker in staging determining the severity and prognosis of COPD for early intervention

A study to evaluate the effectiveness of structured teaching programme on level of knowledge regarding problems of substance abuse among higher secondary school students (15 - 17 years) at selected schools in Dindigul district

A study to evaluate the effectiveness of Structured Teaching Programme on level of Knowledge regarding Problems of Substance Abuse among Higher Secondary School Students (15-17 years) at Selected Schools in Dindigul District. The study was conducted at Buds Flourishing Hindu Vidyalaya Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Oddanchatram in Dindigul District. The study was conducted from 29.06.11 to 28.07.11. Preexperimental one group pretest and posttest design was used in this study. The total period of data collection was 4 weeks. 50 samples were selected using convenience sampling technique. Oral consent was obtained. During the first week, assessment of the level of knowledge on problems of substance abuse among Higher Secondary School Students was done. The Structured Teaching Programme regarding problems of substance abuse was provided. After 15 days of Structured Teaching Programme the level of knowledge among Higher Secondary School Students were assessed by using Structured knowledge questionnaire. The descriptive statistics was used for categorical data, mean and standard deviation, inferential statistics, Paired ‘t’ test was used to evaluate the effectiveness of Structured Teaching Programme regarding Problems of Substance abuse among Higher Secondary School Students and Chi square was used to find out association between the level of knowledge regarding Problems of Substance abuse among Higher Secondary School Students and their demographic variables. There was a significant difference (p < 0.05) found between the pretest 10.16 (±2.08) and posttest 15.9 (±1.81) mean score on level of knowledge regarding Problems of Substance abuse among Higher Secondary School Students. There was no significant association on demographic variables. The finding of the study shows that Structured Teaching Programme is more effective to improve the level of knowledge regarding problems of substance abuse among Higher Secondary School Students

Estimation of age of Ossification of Hyoid Bone by Radiological and Histopathological Examination of Autopsy Specimen

INTRODUCTION : Identification is essential in living persons, recently dead persons, decomposed bodies, mutilated bodies and skeletal remains. The main part of corpus delicti (i.e. the body of the offence; the essence of crime) is the establishment of the identity of the dead body. The three primary characteristics of identification of a person are Sex, Age and Stature. Visual identification becomes difficult and impossible in cases of explosions, fires, advanced decomposition, mutilation, earthquakes, aircraft accidents, mass disasters and other terrorist activities. During a person’s life, their bones would constantly undergo changes and those changes would follow a chronological pattern. Knowledge on those changes occurring in the bones would help in estimating age from the skeleton. The time of appearance of centers of ossification and the process of union of the epiphysis with the diaphysis have a sequence and time period, which is utilized towards age determination. However, countable differences may be noticed in the appearance and fusion activities of the ossification centers depending on the sex, race and geological distribution. Ossification process may also be influenced by food, nutritional status, physical activity, metabolic and hormonal disturbances. Ossification activities occur earlier in Indian population than in Western population Estimation of age after 25 years becomes more uncertain in living person and the dead6, 23. It is difficult to determine the accuracy of age after the full permanent dentition and fusion of all centres of ossification of long bones. The changes suggestive of advancing age in an individual were as follows: The fusion of the body with the greater cornu of the hyoid bone and the fusion of the manubrium and xiphisternum with the body of the sternum, the lipping of the vertebrae, fusion of exocranial and endocranial sutures of the skull bone, calcification changes of the cricoids and thyroid cartilages and Gastofson’s method for estimating age from teeth 24. All those mentioned changes may occur between 40 – 60 years. The ossification changes resulting in fusion of greater cornu of the hyoid bone with its body occurs in a wide age groups. Trotter M stated that fusion of greater cornu with the body of the hyoid bone occurred in middle age group and the ossification process may obliterate the joint space at later years. Fusion of the body with the greater cornu of the hyoid bone occurred as early as 18 years, and on other end, no fusion was found even in eighth and ninth decades. Indian authors like Parikh1, Vij, Krishnan had reported that 40-60 years was the age group at which greater cornu of the hyoid bone would unite with its body. The studies done abroad by Parson and Miller showed that greater cornu of the hyoid bone unites with its body at an earlier age group i.e. at 30- 40 years. Shimzu, DiMaoi, Nikolic observed that as age increases the frequency of union of greater horn of the hyoid bone with its body was found to be increased. The age at which hyoid bone ossifies and their fractures were interrelated. Fracture was more frequent in persons over 40 years of age. The reason was that, after 40 years, the joint space between the greater horn of the hyoid bone with its body got ossified and thus the elasticity of the bone was lost making it susceptible to get fractured in case of external compression of the neck. Thus, it was stated that, susceptibility of the hyoid bone to get fractured was directly related to its age. The slope and curvature of the hyoid bone also contribute to its fracture in case of strangulation. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES : 1. To estimate the age of fusion of greater horn of the hyoid bone with its body using radiological and histological examination. 2. To find out the sexual variations in the fusion of greater horn of the hyoid bone with its body. MATERIALS AND METHODS : The present study “Estimation of age of ossification of hyoid bone by radiological and histopathological examination of autopsy specimen” had been carried out in the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Madras Medical College, Chennai, during the period of 2011 to 2012. Of all the cases brought to the institute for medicolegal autopsy, a sum total of 155 cases were selected randomly for this prospective study. Permission of the ethical committee on the use of human material for research purpose was obtained. Dissection techniques: For bloodless dissection of the neck first the brain and the thoraco abdominal contents were removed before proceeding to the neck dissection. A wooden block 12 to 20cm high was placed under the shoulders to allow the head to fall back and thus the neck was extended. A vertical incision was then made from the chin down up to the suprasternal notch. The skin over the region of the neck was held with a toothed forceps and subcutaneous dissection was carried to the lower border of lower jaw, laterally on the sides of neck and clavicle. Deep cervical fascia was reflected from cervical muscles and strap muscles of the neck were exposed, inspected and reflected on each side. Thyroid gland and carotid sheath was freed by blunt dissection. CONCLUSION : The incidence of fusion of the body and the greater cornu of the hyoid bone increases with age and maximum number of hyoid bones with bilateral complete fusion are observed in the age group of 51 – 55 years. Both in radiological and histological analysis, increased frequency of complete fusion are observed in the age group of 51 – 55 years. In the present study, the age group of complete fusion is higher than the previous studies, the reason for this difference is that majority of the cases included in this study are aged beyond 40 years. Age estimation from teeth, skull and pelvis has been done conventionally but each method has its own limitations and they are governed by endocrine, racial, dietary and sex factors. These methods can be used to categorize age into broad age groups and estimation of age based on hyoid bone can be used as a supplement to the above mentioned methods. As both radiological and histological findings coincides with the age of fusion of hyoid bone, estimating the age group based on ossification of the body and greater horn of the hyoid bone can be done alone with radiological study. As histological study of the ossification of the hyoid bone, is more time consuming, it is concluded that radiological assessment of the hyoid bone alone is sufficient in determining the age of an individual. In this study, it is observed that, bilateral non fusion is present in the samples of age less than 40 years and bilateral completion fusion is present in samples of age above 50 years. No sex difference is observed in the age of bilateral fusion of the hyoid bone. Factors affecting the ossification process should be noted before estimating the age of an individual based on radiological examination of the bone

Analysis of SPWM Technique for Solar Inverter

Reactive power control is necessary to maintain power system stable. In a three phase grid connected PV system, the inverter should regulate the reactive power. Low Voltage Ride Through has to be done to ensure the system stability in fault conditions. Fault current has to be limited. In this paper, we propose a control strategy for grid connected solar PV inverter. The system study is done under LVRT condition. The strategy is based on current loop under single axis dq rotating coordinate system. Grid connected PV systems has a three phase inverter fed by DC-DC converter which will take care of maximum power point. In this project, a 100kW PV system is studied. The entire system is simulated and analysed using MATLAB Simulink software