Forest Fire Monitoring

Thousands of hectares around the globe destroyed by forest fires every year causing tragic loss of houses, properties, lives, fauna and flora. Forest fires are a great menace to ecologically healthy grown forests and protection of the environment. This problem has been the research interest for years, and there are a number of solutions available to resolve this problem. In this chapter, a summary is given for all the technologies that have been used for forest fire detection with explanation of what parameters these systems looking for to understand the fire behaviour

Eligibility for bariatric surgery among adults in England: analysis of a national cross-sectional survey.

This study aimed to determine the number eligible for bariatric surgery and their sociodemographic characteristics.We used Health Survey for England 2006 data, representative of the non-institutionalized English population.The number of people eligible for bariatric surgery in England based on national guidance is unknown. The UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence criteria for eligibility are those with body mass index (BMI) 35-40 kg/m(2) with at least one comorbidity potentially improved by losing weight or a BMI > 40 kg/m(2).Of 13,742 adult respondents (≥18 years), we excluded participants with invalid BMI (n = 2103), comorbidities (n = 2187) or sociodemographic variables (n = 27) data, for a final study sample of 9425 participants.The comorbidities examined were hypertension, type 2 diabetes, stroke, coronary heart disease and osteoarthritis. Sociodemographic variables assessed included age, sex, employment status, highest educational qualification, social class and smoking status.5.4% (95% CI 5.0-5.9) of the non-institutionalized adult population in England could meet criteria for having bariatric surgery after accounting for survey weights. Those eligible were more likely than the general population to be women (60.1% vs. 39.9%, p<0.01), retired (22.4% vs. 12.8% p<0.01), and have no formal educational qualifications (35.7% vs. 21.3%, p<0.01).The number of adults potentially eligible for bariatric surgery in England (2,147,683 people based on these results and 2006 population estimates) far exceeds previous estimates of eligibility. In view of the sociodemographic characteristics of this group, careful resource allocation is required to ensure equitable access on the basis of need

Rabies Vaccination and Immune Status of Owned Dogs in Zaria, Nigeria

Nigerian Veterinary Journal, Vol. 32(3): 2011; 204 - 20

Isolasi Dan Karakteristik Bakteri Pendegradasi Selulosa Dari Serasah Daun Tebu (Saccarum officinarum)

Jenis penelitian ini adalah penelitian deksriptif yaitu menjelaskan isolasi bakteri yang berasal dari serasah daun tebuh (Saccarum officinarum). Bertujuan untuk mengetahui bakteri-bakteri yang terdapat dalam serasah daun tebuh (Saccarum officinarum) dengan isolasi bakteri dan mengkarakterisasinya. Pengambilan sampel uji berdasarkan ciri-ciri yang sudah ditentukan oleh peneliti sebelumnya. Adapun langkah penelitian mulai dari pengambilan sampel, steriliasi alat, pembuatan medium tumbuh bakteri,&nbsp; isolasi hingga identifikasi bakteri dan analisis data.Teknik analisis data dalam penelitian ini dilakukan dengan cara teknik analisis data deksriptif. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian yang telah dilakukan diperoleh bakteri dengan ciri-ciri sel berwarna merah keunguan, berbentuk, batang (basil) dan koma (comma) dan tergolong sebagai bakteri gram positif

Total Anti-Oxidant Capacity, Flavonoid, Phenolic Acid And Polyphenol Content In Ten Selected Species Of Zingiberaceae Rhizomes

Background: Natural products such as herbs, fruits, spices, beverages, vegetables are becoming more popular among scientific community and consumers because of their potential to arrest the effect of free radicals in human system. This study determined the total antioxidant capacity of ten selected species of Zingiberaceae (Ginger) used as spices and for medicinal purposes in Southeast Asia.Materials and Methods: Methanol was used as the extraction solvent, 2,2 – diphenyl -1- picrylhydrazil (DPPH) for free radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. Phenolic compounds were measured using Total flavonoid, Phenolic acid and Polyphenols content assay to evaluate the quality of the antioxidant capacity of the rhizomes and vitamin C as positive control.Results: The results obtained revealed that Curcuma longa and Zingiber officinale had the highest free radical scavenging capacity of 270.07mg/TE/g DW and 266.95mg/TE/g DW and FRAP assay, Curcuma longa and Zingiber officinale also gave the highest ferric reducing power of 231.73mg/TE/g DW and 176.26mg/TE/g DW respectively. For Phenolic compounds, Curcuma longa and Curcuma xanthorrhiza gave the highest values of flavonoid (741.36mg/NGN/g DW and 220.53mg/NGN/g DW), phenolic acid (42.71mg/GAE/g DW and 22.03mg/GAE/g DW) and polyphenols(39.38mg/GAE/g DW and 38.01mg/GAE/g DW) respectively. Significant and positive linear correlations were found between Total antioxidant capacity and Phenolic compounds (R = 0.65 – 0.96). Conclusion: This study provides evidence that extracts of Zingiberaceae (Ginger) rhizomes are a potential source of natural antioxidants and could serve as basis for future drugs and food supplementsKey words: Zingibearaceae, Antioxidant, Free Radical, Oxidative stress, DPPH, Flavonoid, Phenolic acid, Polypheno

Preparation and Characterization of Isosorbide Mononitrate Hydrogels Obtained by Free-Radical Polymerization for Site-Specific Delivery

Purpose: To prepare and characterize acrylic acid and ethyl cellulose hydrogels of isosorbide mononitrate for site-specific delivery.Methods: Free radical polymerization method was employed using benzoyl peroxide as initiator and N, N’-Methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) crosslinked copolymer of ethyl cellulose and acrylic acid. Benzyl peroxide and N, N'-Methylenebisacrylamide in varying amounts were dissolved in acrylic acid. The two solutions were mixed together to a final weight of 100 g. Hydrogels were evaluated for sol-gel characteristics, diffusion coefficient, and porosity. Hydrogel formation was examined by FTIR while drug loading efficiency study was carried out using 1 % (w/v) drug solution.Results: Swelling and drug release decreased with increasing acrylic acid and MBA concentrations due to high degree of crosslinking. Increasing acrylic acid content of hydrogel produced a decrease in drug release from 29.89 to 25.79 %, 75.37 to 67.87 % and 84.91 to 75.85 % at pH 1.2, 6.5 and 7.5, respectively. Remarkably, high swelling was observed at higher pH. Gel fraction and porosity results showed that acrylic acid and crosslinker raised gel fraction but reduced porosity, while ethyl cellulose exhibited a reverse effect. FTIR confirmed graft copolymer formation.Conclusion: Isosorbide mononitrate hydrogels prepared with crosslinked copolymer of ethyl cellulose and acrylic acid can be suitably formulated for targeted delivery of the drug to the small intestine.Keywords: N, N'-Methylenebisacrylamide, Ethyl cellulose, Acrylic acid, Isosorbide mononitrate, Free radical polymerization, Graft copolymer, Site-specific delivery, Hydrogel, pH-sensitiv

Development of a 3D Printed Coating Shell to Control the Drug Release of Encapsulated Immediate-Release Tablets

The use of 3D printing techniques to control drug release has flourished in the past decade, although there is no generic solution that can be applied to the full range of drugs or solid dosage forms. The present study provides a new concept, using the 3D printing technique to print a coating system in the form of shells with various designs to control/modify drug release in immediate-release tablets. A coating system of cellulose acetate in the form of an encapsulating shell was printed through extrusion-based 3D printing technology, where an immediate-release propranolol HCl tablet was placed inside to achieve a sustained drug release profile. The current work investigated the influence of shell composition by using different excipients and also by exploring the impact of shell size on the drug release from the encapsulated tablet. Three-dimensional printed shells with different ratios of rate-controlling polymer (cellulose acetate) and pore-forming agent (D-mannitol) showed the ability to control the amount and the rate of propranolol HCl release from the encapsulated tablet model. The shell-print approach also showed that space/gap available for drug dissolution between the shell wall and the enclosed tablet significantly influenced the release of propranolol HCl. The modified release profile of propranolol HCl achieved through enclosing the tablet in a 3D printed controlled-release shell followed Korsmeyer–Peppas kinetics with non-Fickian diffusion. This approach could be utilized to tailor the release profile of a Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) class I drug tablet (characterized by high solubility and high permeability) to improve patient compliance and promote personalized medicine