BVRI CCD photometric standards in the field of GRB 990123

The CCD magnitudes in Johnson $BV$ and Cousins $RI$ photometric passbands are determined for 18 stars in the field of GRB 990123. These measurements can be used in carrying out precise CCD photometry of the optical transient of GRB 990123 using differential photometric techniques during non--photometric sky conditions. A comparison with previous photometry indicates that the present photmetry is more precise.Comment: Tex file, 5 pages with 1 figure. Bull. Astron. Society India, Vol. 27 (accepted

Antiepileptic drugs: newer targets and new drugs

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder affecting 0.5-1% of the population in India. Majority of patients respond to currently available antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), but a small percentage of patients have shown poor and inadequate response to AEDs in addition to various side effects and drug interactions while on therapy. Thus there is a need to develop more effective AEDs in drug resistant epilepsy which have a better safety profile with minimal adverse effects. The United States food and drug administration (USFDA) has approved eslicarbazepine acetate, ezogabine, perampanel and brivaracetam which have shown a promising future as better AEDs and drugs like ganaxolone, intranasal diazepam, ICA- 105665, valnoctamide, VX-765, naluzotan are in the pipeline

GRB000301C with peculiar afterglow emission

The CCD magnitudes in Johnson V and Cousins R and I photometric passbands are determined for GRB 000301C afterglow starting ~ 1.5 day after the gamma-ray burst. In fact we provide the earliest optical observations for this burst. Light curves of the afterglow emissions in U, B, V, R, I, J and K' passbands are obtained by combining the present measurements with the published data. Flux decay shows a very uncommon variation relative to other well observed GRBs. Overall, there is a steepening of the optical and near-infrared flux decay caused by a geometric and sideways expanding jet. This is superimposed by a short term variability especially during early time (Delta t < 8 days). The cause of variability is not well understood, though it has occurred simultaneously with similar amplitude in all the filters. We derive the early and late time flux decay constants using jet model. The late time flux decay is the steepest amongst the GRB OTs observed so far with alpha ~ 3. Steepening in the flux decay seems to have started simultaneously around Delta t ~ 7.6 day in all passbands. The value of spectral index in the optical-near IR region is ~ -1.0. Redshift determination with z=2.0335 indicates cosmological origin of the GRB having a luminosity distance of 16.6 Gpc. Thus it becomes the second farthest amongst the GRBs with known distances. An indirect estimate of the fluence > 20 keV indicates, if isotropic,> =10^53 ergs of release of energy. The enormous amount of released energy will be reduced, if the radiation is beamed which is the case for this event. Using a jet break time of 7.6 days, we infer a jet opening angle of ~ 0.15 radian. This means the energy released is reduced by a factor of ~ 90 relative to the isotropic value.Comment: LaTeX file, 11 pages including 4 figures, uses psfig.sty, Bull. Astron. Society of India(accepted, Sept, 2000 issue

Cost analysis of oral hypolipidemic agents available in India

Background: Cardiovascular diseases are the most prevalent cause of death and disability in developed and developing countries. There is a wide variation in the prices of hypolipidemic drugs marketed in India. Thus, a study was planned to find out variation in cost in the oral hypolipidemic drugs available in India either as a single drug or in combination and to evaluate the difference in cost of various brands of the same oral hypolipidemic drug by calculating percentage variation in cost in Indian rupees.Methods: Cost of oral hypolipidemic drugs manufactured by different pharmaceutical companies, in the same strength and dosage forms was obtained from “Current Index of Medical Specialties” July-October 2014 and “Indian Drug Review” Vol. XXI, Issue No.4, 2014. The difference in the maximum and minimum price of the same drug manufactured by different pharmaceutical companies and percentage variation in cost per 10 tablets was calculated.Results: Percentage variation in cost for hypolipidemic drugs marketed in India was found to be atorvastatin (10 mg): 1108.33%, simvastatin (5 mg): 709.09%, rosuvastatin (10 mg): 431.91%, lovastatin (10 mg): 287%, fenofibrate (200 mg): 163.58%. Among the combination therapy, variation in cost was atorvastatin + fenofibrate (10+160 mg): 233.33%, atorvastatin + ezetimibe (20+20 mg): 132.90%, rosuvastatin + fenofibrate (10+145 mg): 105.56%.Conclusion: There is a wide difference in the cost of different brands of oral hypolipidemic drugs available in India. The clinicians prescribing these drugs should be aware of these variations in cost to reduce the cost of drug therapy

Analysis of Box Culvert to Reduce Stress Values

At the time of construction of roads, highways a structure is placed (commonly used) to transfer the traffic, rain water, drainage from one side to another of the road is called a culvert placed beneath the road. Due to the structural use, multiple loads are placed on the box causing various types of stress which occurs on it. The paper tries to reduce the stress occurred in the box by flaring the box partially

Electrical, Magnetic and Electrochemical Behaviour of Nanocrystalline Fe70.5Nb4.5Cu1Si16B8 Alloy

The electrical, magnetic and electrochemical behaviour of Fe70.5Nb..5CuiSi,638 has been studied in the as-received and heat treated conditions. The as-received material was amorphous which crystallized in two different stages at 780K and 940K when heated continuously. At the primary crystallization stage, nanometre sized grain of ordered FesoSi20 phase was formed. The superior soft magnetic properties were achieved after primary crystall-ization which were attributed to the averaging out of magnetocrystalline anisotropy due to the nanocrystalline structure and the reduction of magnetoelastic anisotropy energy due to the negative magnetosirictive nature of Fe8oSi20 phase and positive magnetosirictive value of the rest amorphous phase. After primary crystallization spon-taneous passivating nature of the alloy is also observed in electrochemical study

Design, development and demonstration of a Shallow solar tunnel dryer for non-electrified areas

This paper presents the design, construction and performance evaluation of a shallow solar tunnel dryer for agro and industrial products. In the shallow solar tunnel dryer, there are three separate units viz.: an air heating unit, drying unit and air diversion unit. Total area of the solar tunnel dryer was 21 m². The heated air from a separate solar air heating zone is passed through a product bed, and at the same time, the drying tunnel bed absorbs solar energy directly through the transparent UV stabilized plastic sheet used as covering material. This dryer was not required any external sources of the power to operate the electrical fan. The system was designed to operate at a temperature of 50 to 60oC. The system was installed at the institute and initial testing was conducted. After that the system was also demonstrated at the actual potential user’s site. The results obtained during the test period revealed that the temperatures inside the tunnel drying zone and solar air heating zone were much higher than the ambient air temperature during most hours of the day-light. The temperature rise inside the drying tunnel was up to 67.4°C at peak hour’s period (noon). The drying rat e and thermal efficiency of the collector were 1.73 kg/h and 26.0% respectively. The high outlet temperature indicated the scope of loading the dryer further

Price analysis of antianginal drugs available in Indian market

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the most common causes of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in developing countries like India. Initial management includes use of many antianginal drugs. There is wide variation in market prices of these drugs. This study was planned to analyse the percentage variation in prices amongst monotherapy and combination therapy of antianginal drugs manufactured and sold under different brand names in Indian market.Methods: Price of antianginal drugs manufactured by different pharmaceutical companies, in the same strength and dosage forms was obtained from “Current Index of Medical Specialties (CIMS)” January-April 2016 and “Indian Drug Review (IDR)” Vol. XXII, Issue No.1, 2016. The difference in the maximum and minimum price of the same drug manufactured by different pharmaceutical companies and percentage variation in price per 10 tablets was calculated.Results: Percentage variation in price for antianginal drugs marketed in India was found to be amlodipine (5 mg) 1128.57% followed by amlodipine (10 mg) 1040% and amlodipine (2.5 mg) 780% as a monotherapy. Whereas atenolol (25 mg), atenolol (50 mg) and nicorandil (10 mg) also showed significant percentage variation in prices 525%, 426.66% and 350.84% respectively. For combination therapy, percentage variation in prices were seen with amlodipine + atenolol (5 + 50 mg) 700%, followed by atenolol + hydrochlorothiazide (50 + 12.5 mg) 362.5% and Isosorbide dinitrate + aspirin (5 + 75 mg) 300%.Conclusions: There is a wide variation in the price of different brands of antianginal drugs available in India. The clinicians prescribing these drugs should be aware of these variations to reduce the financial burden of drug therapy

Analysis of price variation amongst different formulations of anxiolytic drugs available in Indian market

Background: Cost of drug therapy is a very serious issue for people belonging to lower economic status in India. A single drug is manufactured by various pharmaceutical companies and sold under different brand names. The prices of these drugs vary in the Indian market. Anxiety is a symptom of many psychiatric disorders and surgical conditions for which anxiolytic drugs are commonly prescribed. This study was planned to study the price variation amongst the different brands of anxiolytic drugs available in India.Methods: Price of anxiolytic drugs manufactured by different pharmaceutical companies, in the same strength and dosage forms were obtained from “current index of medical specialties” Jan-April 2016 and “Indian drug review” Vol. XXII, Issue No.1, 2016. The difference in the maximum and minimum price of the same drug manufactured by different pharmaceutical companies and percentage variation in price per 10 tablets was calculated.Results: Out of 26 single drug formulations analyzed, maximum percentage variation in prices were seen with diazepam (5 mg) 371.42% followed by clonazepam (0.5 mg) 350%, lorazepam (1 mg) 328.57%, alprazolam (0.25 mg) 320% and clobazam (20 mg) 318.18% and out of 7 combination drug formulations analyzed, maximum percentage variation in prices were seen with the combination of chlordiazepoxide + amitriptyline (10 + 25 mg) 230.07% followed by combination of trifluperazine + trihexiphenidyl (5 + 2 mg) 150%.Conclusions: There is a wide variation in the price of different brands of anxiolytic drugs available in Indian market. Government of India should reduce the pricing of drugs by bringing them under drug pricing control order (DPCO).