Quantitative Determination of Acetylsalicyclic Acid and Acetaminophen by Q-NMR (Quantitative Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) Technique

The pharmaceutical industry mainly uses chromatographic techniques such as High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Gas Chromatography (GC), to determine the quantity of the active ingredient and other material in the drugs. A large effort goes into developing methods using chromatography techniques. The method development and running HPLC and GC are time consuming. Methods need to be updated as the chromatographic columns and the instruments wear out. On the other hand, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) technique is mainly used for qualitative analysis to determine the identity of compounds. However, Proton-NMR technique does provide quantitative information of compounds but to develop a method an internal standard of known concentration is required. We are using q-NMR (quantitative NMR) to quantitatively analyze acetylsalicylic acid and acetaminophen by Proton-NMR using diethyl ether as an internal standard. The area of NMR signals shows a linear relationship with the concentration. Acetylsalicylic acid and acetaminophen were chosen as a representative drug. The method is useful for a wide variety of drugs. Our future studies include using a variety of appropriate internal standards to determine concentrations of several organic compounds including various pharmaceutical drugs and petroleum products

Adaptive Knobs for Resource Efficient Computing

Performance demands of emerging domains such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and vision, Internet-of-things etc., continue to grow. Meeting such requirements on modern multi/many core systems with higher power densities, fixed power and energy budgets, and thermal constraints exacerbates the run-time management challenge. This leaves an open problem on extracting the required performance within the power and energy limits, while also ensuring thermal safety. Existing architectural solutions including asymmetric and heterogeneous cores and custom acceleration improve performance-per-watt in specific design time and static scenarios. However, satisfying applications’ performance requirements under dynamic and unknown workload scenarios subject to varying system dynamics of power, temperature and energy requires intelligent run-time management. Adaptive strategies are necessary for maximizing resource efficiency, considering i) diverse requirements and characteristics of concurrent applications, ii) dynamic workload variation, iii) core-level heterogeneity and iv) power, thermal and energy constraints. This dissertation proposes such adaptive techniques for efficient run-time resource management to maximize performance within fixed budgets under unknown and dynamic workload scenarios. Resource management strategies proposed in this dissertation comprehensively consider application and workload characteristics and variable effect of power actuation on performance for pro-active and appropriate allocation decisions. Specific contributions include i) run-time mapping approach to improve power budgets for higher throughput, ii) thermal aware performance boosting for efficient utilization of power budget and higher performance, iii) approximation as a run-time knob exploiting accuracy performance trade-offs for maximizing performance under power caps at minimal loss of accuracy and iv) co-ordinated approximation for heterogeneous systems through joint actuation of dynamic approximation and power knobs for performance guarantees with minimal power consumption. The approaches presented in this dissertation focus on adapting existing mapping techniques, performance boosting strategies, software and dynamic approximations to meet the performance requirements, simultaneously considering system constraints. The proposed strategies are compared against relevant state-of-the-art run-time management frameworks to qualitatively evaluate their efficacy

Integration of genome-wide datasets to understand regulation of human T-helper cell differentiation

T-helper cells are an important part of the immune system and adaptive immunity. Over the course of the immune response, under the influence of various cytokines, T-helper cells differentiate into various subsets each of which have a specific function. Despite the generation of large amounts of data by recent high-throughput studies, the picture of human T-helper cell differentiation is far from complete. The goal of this thesis is to identify and characterize molecular elements potentially involved in T-helper cell differentiation and immune response through generating valuable datasets on immune cells using microarrays and high-throughput sequencing and using a range of bioinformatics methods to analyse the data. To achieve this goal, in the first study, human Th1 and Th2 cell subsets were profiled using transcriptomics and the resulting mRNA and long non-coding (lnc) RNA data was integrated with epigenomics data to understand the relationship between the two during early T-helper cell differentiation. The results revealed several new transcripts differentially regulated by Th1 and Th2 cells during their early specification providing candidates for further studies. In the second study, lncRNAs in autoimmune disease loci were characterized in granulocytes, monocytes, natural killer cells, B cells, memory T cells, naïve CD4+ T cells, and naïve CD8+ T cells. Differentially expressing lncRNAs were found to be enriched in those loci compared to the reference genome. The third study combined proteomics and transcriptomics data and revealed insights into T cell activation and signaling. Finally, the fourth study demonstrated the role of STAT3 in regulating other factors in Th17 differentiation. Moreover, STAT3 was found to bind to genomic loci with genetic variation previously associated with autoimmune diseases. The results of this thesis identify several factors important for immune cell subsets and characterize their role particularly in T-helper cell differentiation. The datasets generated as part of this thesis provide a valuable resource for the community

Tissue-specific characterisation of DNA methylation in the gonad-specific proto-oncogene, c-mos, in the male laboratory mouse

The proto-oncogene, c-mos, which is expressed only in the germ cells of both testis and ovary, plays an important role in meiotic maturation of these cells. In this research, the methylation status of several CpG sites, present both upstream and within the coding region of the c-mos gene, has been studied. The HpaII and HhaI sites examined in the 5' half of the coding region were unmethylated in both the c-mos expressing and non-expressing tissues. A HhaI site, h3, present 380bp downstream of the transcription start site, was unmethylated in germ cells, but was partially methylated in the somatic tissues, inversely correlating with the expression status of the gene. In contrast to these tissues, in the mouse fibroblast cell line L929, all the analysed sites were completely methylated

Characterisation of developmentally regulated chromatin structure in the coding region of the proto-oncogene, c-fos,in the male laboratory mouse

In mouse, tissue-specific developmental de novo methylation of the proto-oncogene c-fos,which is abundantly expressed during embryonic stages, occurs perinatally (between the day of birth to 20 dpp) and is maintained in the adult. In liver, where c-fos is only active up to the day of birth, the gene has more sites methylated than in brain, where it is expressed until about day 5 post-partum. We have studied chromatin organisation of c-fos and compared this to DNA methylation in the fetal and adult brain and liver. Purified nuclei of these tissues from fetus as well as adult were digested with the restriction enzyme MspI. DNA was extracted from the MspI digested chromatin and probed with two DNA segments covering the major part of the body of the gene (from distal part of second exon to major part of fourth exon). Southern hybridisation studies revealed that in the fetus, in both liver and brain, the chromatin in the coding region was sensitive to MspI digestion and the extent of sensitivity was nearly the same between the two. In the adult tissues, however, chromatin from brain was almost as sensitive as in the fetus, but in the liver it was highly resistant to MspI. We suggest that a shift from the undermethylated state in the fetus to the heavy methylated state in the adult causes a corresponding change in the organisation of chromatin of c-fos in the coding region. Furthermore, the difference in the tissuespecificity in the methylation induced chromatin compaction could be due to differences in the transcription levels of c-fos and de novo methylation during early neonatal development

RAMKY GROUP- Experts in domestic waste management

Ramky Group since inception in 1994 in Hyderabad has been focusing on developing projects that positively impact both the environment and the economy. As part of the blueprint to be an active participant in global economic progress, Ramky Group has augmented potential in key growth sectors including Water and waste water management, Transportation, Industrial Infrastructure, Commercial, Residential, Social, Institutional and Irrigation Infrastructure, Environment Management, Energy Generation, transmission and distribution. Major operations of the group are conducted through companies sucha as Ramky Infrastructure Limited (RIL), Ramky Environ Engineers Limited (REEL), Ramky Estates and Farms Limited (REFL), Ramky Life Sciences Limited (RLSL) and Ramky Life Sciences Limited(RLSL)

A clinical study to evaluate the effect of Lekhana Vasti in the management of Sthaulya

Sthaulya is one of the Santarpanotta Vyadhi. It is considered as one among the Ashta Ninditeeya Purusha. It is a Rasa Nimittija and Medo Pradoshaja Vyadhi Avyayama, Athiasana, Athishayana and so on are some of the Nidanas of Sthaulya. Most of the world’s population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight. Apatarpana Chikitsa is main line of treatment in Sthaulya. When there is involvement of Kapha Medas and pathogenesis of Avarana, the condition needs Teekshna Basti with Lekhana properties. The Varanadi Gana Kwatha which is having similar action is selected as Kalka and Kwatha Dravya in the present study. To increase the Teekshnata, the Amla Kanji as Avapa Dravya has been selected. Objectives - Hence, the following study was taken to evaluate the effect of Lekhana Basti in management of Sthaulya. Methodology - 20 patients were taken in the study and were administered. Varanadi Lekhana Basti in Kala Basti format. Matra Basti with Murchita Tila Taila was given. Patients were assessed for weight BMI, biomarkers, bodily circumferences before and after treatment and after follow up

Adaptive Workload Distribution for Accuracy-aware DNN Inference on Collaborative Edge Platforms

DNN inference can be accelerated by distributing the workload among a cluster of collaborative edge nodes. Heterogeneity among edge devices and accuracy-performance trade-offs of DNN models present a complex exploration space while catering to the inference performance requirements. In this work, we propose adaptive workload distribution for DNN inference, jointly considering node-level heterogeneity of edge devices, and application-specific accuracy and performance requirements. Our proposed approach combinatorially optimizes heterogeneity-aware workload partitioning and dynamic accuracy configuration of DNN models to ensure performance and accuracy guarantees. We tested our approach on an edge cluster of Odroid XU4, Raspberry Pi4, and Jetson Nano boards and achieved an average gain of 41.52% in performance and 5.2% in output accuracy as compared to state-of-the-art workload distribution strategies

Genomics approaches to study music perception and performance

Music perception and performance form a useful tool for studying the normal functioning of the human brain. The abundance of neuroscientific literature has demonstrated that music perception and performance alter the human brain structure and function and induce physiological changes through neurochemical modulation. Emerging evidence from molecular genetic studies have suggested a substantial genetic component in musical aptitude and related traits like creativity in music. This thesis puts a step forward in understanding the molecular genetic background of music perception and performance, using a combination of genomics and bioinformatics approaches. Specifically, the role of copy number variations (CNVs; a form of genetic variation) in musical aptitude and creativity in music was investigated both in the largest families of the MUSGEN-project and also in sporadic cases. The effects of listening to music and performing music by playing an instrument on human transcriptional responses were also investigated. The genome-wide CNV analysis principally identified genes like GALM, PCDHA1-9 as the possible candidate genes that could affect musical aptitude and creativity in music. PCDHA1-9 and GALM genes are known to regulate the serotonergic system, which is responsible for neurocognitive and motor functions, the essential biological processes of music related traits. Overall, the detected genes affect neurodevelopment, learning, memory and serotonergic functions. The findings also demonstrated that large and rare CNV burden does not affect normal traits like musical aptitude. Both listening to music and performing music enhanced the activity of genes that are known to be involved in dopaminergic neurotransmission, neuroplasticity, learning, and memory. Most importantly, one of the most up-regulated genes in both studies - synuclein alpha (SNCA) and its upstream transcription regulator GATA2, are located on chromosomal regions 4q22.1 and 3q21 respectively linking the strongest linkage and associated regions of musical aptitude together. In addition, several of the up-regulated genes in both the studies (like SNCA, FOS, and DUSP1) have been known to be regulated during song learning and singing in songbirds, suggesting a possible evolutionary conservation of genes related to sound perception and production. These novel findings give preliminary information about the genes associated with musical aptitude and the effect of music on the human body. It is obvious that replication studies are required to confirm the results. These pioneering findings could guide further research on the molecular genetics of music perception and performance in humans. These findings will also enhance our understanding of the genetic bases of cognitive traits, the evolution of music and music therapy.Musiikin kuuntelu ja soittaminen on aivojen monimutkaista toimintaa, joka on yleistä kaikissa kulttuureissa. Aivojen kuvantamistutkimuksissa on todettu, että musiikin harjoittaminen muuttaa aivojen rakenteita ja toimintaa. Uusimmat geenitutkimusten tulokset ovat osoittaneet, että perintötekijöillä on osuutta musikaalisuuden synnyssä. Tässä väitöskirjatyössä on käytetty molekyyligenetiikan ja bioinformatiikan menetelmiä musikaalisuuteen liittyvien geenien ja niiden eri muotojen tunnistamiseksi. Tutkimuksessa löytyi musikaalisuuteen ja musiikilliseen luovuuteen liittyviä perimän alueita, joilla sijaitsee muun muassa muistiin ja oppimiseen vaikuttavia geenejä. Muistia ja oppimista tarvitaan musiikin tekemisessä, joten geenit ovat sopivia ehdokasgeenejä näiden toimintojen aiheuttajina. Tässä väitöskirjatyössä tutkittiin myös musiikin kuuntelun ja ammattimuusikoiden soittamisen vaikutusta geenien aktiivisuuteen. Sekä musiikin kuuntelu että soittaminen lisäsivät aivojen välittäjäaineen, dopamiinin aineenvaihduntaa. Dopamiinilla on monia vaikutuksia elimistössä, ja sen toiminta on heikentynyt mm. Parkinsonin taudissa. Musiikin kuuntelu ja soittaminen aktivoivat myös oppimiseen ja muistiin vaikuttavia geenejä ja hiljensivät aivojen rappeutumiseen liittyviä geenejä. Näin musiikin kuuntelu ja harjoittaminen saattavat parantaa aivojen toimintaa ja suojata aivoja rappeutumiselta. On mielenkiintoista, että musiikin kuuntelu ja soittaminen aktivoivat useita geenejä, joiden tiedetään vaikuttavan laululintujen laulun oppimiseen ja tuottamiseen. Näyttää siltä, että ihminen ja laululinnut käyttävät samoja geenejä äänien tuottamiseen ja tunnistamiseen. Tutkimustulokset ovat uusia ja ne antavat tietoa aivojen normaalista toiminnasta, äänien tunnistamisen biologiasta ja evoluutiosta ja saattavat selittää musiikin terapeuttisia vaikutuksia molekyylitasolla