Influence of formulated diets with varying protein levels on growth and ammonia excretion in the fry of Indian major carp, Cirrhina mrigala

The influence of formulated isocaloric diets of different protein levels (30, 35, 40, 45 and 50%) on the growth and ammonia excretion of the Indian major carp Cirrhina mrigala fry was studied for a rearing period of four weeks in the laboratory. Fishmeal, groundnut oilcake and silkworm pupae formed the source of protein in all the diets. As the dietary protein level increased from 30 to 40%, the growth and conversion efficiency increased significantly. Further increase in the protein level resulted in decrease in growth and conversion efficiency. Growth rate, weight gain (%), and gross and net feed conversion efficiencies were maximum at 40% dietary protein level. Ammonia excretion was directly proportional to the level of protein in the diet

Hydrogen-bonded multilayer thin films and capsules based on poly(2-n-propyl-2-oxazoline) and tannic acid : investigation on intermolecular forces, stability, and permeability

In recent years, hydrogen-bonded multilayer thin films and capsules based on neutral and nontoxic building blocks have been receiving interest for the design of stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems and for the preparation of thin-film coatings. Capsule systems made of tannic acid (TA), a natural polyphenol, as a hydrogen bonding donor and poly(2-n-propyl-2-oxazoline) (PnPropOx), a polymer with lower critical solution temperature around 25 degrees C, as a hydrogen bonding acceptor are advantageous over other conventional hydrogen-bonded systems because of their high stability in physiological pH range, biocomparibility, good renal clearance, stealth behavior, and stimuli responsiveness for temperature and pH. In this work, investigations on the interactive forces in TA/PnPropOx capsule formation, film thickness, stability, and permeability are reported. The multilayer thin films were assembled on quartz substrates, and the layer-by-layer film growth was investigated by UV-vis spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and profilometry. Hollow capsules were fabricated by sequential coating of TA and PnPropOx onto CaCO3 colloidal particles, followed by template dissolution with a 0.2 M ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid solution. The obtained capsules and multilayer thin films were found to be stable over a wide pH range of 2-9. It is found that both hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions are responsible for the enhanced stability of the capsules at higher pH range. Swelling followed by dissolution of the capsules was observed at a pH value lower than 2, while the capsules undergo shrinking at a pH value higher than 8 and finally transform into a particle-like morphology before dissolution. The TA/PnPropOx capsules reported here could be used as a temperature-responsive drug delivery system in controlled drug delivery applications

Clinico-etiological profile of acute kidney injury in children admitted to paediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary care centre

Background: Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) refers to a reversible accumulation of urea, creatinine and nitrogenous waste products and disturbances in maintenance of fluid and electrolyte homeostasis. The incidence of AKI continues to increase in the Paediatric age group particularly in critically ill children with the etiology shifting from primary renal disorders to multifactorial cause. The objective of the study to determine the incidence, clinical profile and outcome of AKI in critically ill children using p-RIFLE criteria.Methods: A prospective observational study was done with 342 children aged between 1-12 years, admitted in Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of Institute of Child Health and Research Centre, Madurai Medical College, Madurai during July 2015 to June 2016.Results: The overall incidence of AKI among critically ill children was 30.1%. The mortality rate was 43.7% and 20.7% patients with AKI had partial renal recovery at the time of discharge. 27.2% patients required renal replacement therapy (RRT). Infectious causes 57.3% (Sepsis, Meningoencephalitis, Bronchopneumonia) dominated the etiological profile.Conclusions: Incidence of AKI is high in critically-ill children. AKI continues to be associated with adverse outcomes, including high mortality and partial renal recovery

Vesiclepedia: a compendium for extracellular vesicles with continuous community annotation

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membraneous vesicles released by a variety of cells into their microenvironment. Recent studies have elucidated the role of EVs in intercellular communication, pathogenesis, drug, vaccine and gene-vector delivery, and as possible reservoirs of biomarkers. These findings have generated immense interest, along with an exponential increase in molecular data pertaining to EVs. Here, we describe Vesiclepedia, a manually curated compendium of molecular data (lipid, RNA, and protein) identified in different classes of EVs from more than 300 independent studies published over the past several years. Even though databases are indispensable resources for the scientific community, recent studies have shown that more than 50% of the databases are not regularly updated. In addition, more than 20% of the database links are inactive. To prevent such database and link decay, we have initiated a continuous community annotation project with the active involvement of EV researchers. The EV research community can set a gold standard in data sharing with Vesiclepedia, which could evolve as a primary resource for the field

ROLE OF VITAMIN C AND VITAMIN E ON HYPERTENSION

Objective: Both Vitamin C and Vitamin E supplementation were associated with reduction in blood pressure (BP) in observational studies, although, results of clinical trials are inconsistent. The objective of our study is to conduct a clinical trial to observe the effects of oral supplementation of Vitamin C and Vitamin E on BP. Methods: About 60 non-teaching staffs of our college with systolic BP more than 130 mmHg and diastolic BP more than 90 mmHg were taken as subjects and divided into two groups. Initial BP and BP after oral Vitamin C, 500 mg/day for a period of 12weeks to Group 1 and initial BP and BP after oral Vitamin E, 200 IU/day, for a period of 12 weeks to Group 2 were recorded. Results: Statistical analysis was done by paired t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and least significant difference (LSD) tests. *p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Systolic 2 and diastolic 2 – after 3 months of supplementation showed 0.161 and 0.161 which is not significant. ANOVA and LSD tests show no significant results. Conclusion: Long-term trials on the effects of Vitamin C and Vitamin E supplementation on BP and clinical events are needed

Owls of the forest’s edge

It looked like just a few random vertical poles stuck in between carefully-planted paddy fields adjoining the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve. The poles were crudely fashioned and topped with flattened pads of hay, stuffed into polythene or white cloth bags

Plant-derived antimicrobials to fight against multi-drug-resistant human pathogens

Antibiotic resistance is becoming a pivotal concern for public health that has accelerated the search for new antimicrobial molecules from nature. Numbers of human pathogens have inevitably evolved to become resistant to various currently available drugs causing considerable mortality and morbidity worldwide. It is apparent that novel antibiotics are urgently warranted to combat these life-threatening pathogens. In recent years, there have been an increasing number of studies to discover new bioactive compounds from plant origin with the hope to control antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This review attempts to focus and record the plant-derived compounds and plant extracts against multi-drug-resistant (MDR) pathogens including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), MDR-Mycobacterium tuberculosis and malarial parasites Plasmodium spp. reported between 2005 and 2015. During this period, a total of 110 purified compounds and 60 plant extracts were obtained from 112 different plants. The plants reviewed in this study belong to 70 different families reported from 36 countries around the world. The present review also discusses the drug resistance in bacteria and emphasizes the urge for new drugs

Conservation of a fragmented population of blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra)

The Vallanadu Blackbuck Sanctuary (VBS), Tamil Nadu, India is a small protected area (PA) designated to conserve blackbuck. We did a study on habitat use and suitability in the PA that has come under various management interventions. The occupancy of blackbuck was positively correlated with areas lying within the PA, but the encounter rate of blackbuck was significantly higher in areas outside the PA. Being small in size, VBS may not hold a large population of blackbucks, but may help in saving the species which once widely occurred in the southernmost parts of India