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Despite of possessing very high biocompatibility and osteointegrating properties, HAp exhibits poor mechanical strength and cannot be used in high load-bearing areas. To improve the drawbacks of HAp, it can be either doped with polymeric material or can be coated on some substrate having high mechanical strength. Polymeric substances are known for their mechanical strength and non-toxicity. Addition of polymers in the HAp matrix enhances the properties of HAp. Poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) is used as bone cement and possesses excellent antimicrobial properties. It is doped inside the HAp matrix to modify some of the drawbacks of HAp, such as brittleness, degeneration, the growth and spread of microbes and bacteria over time. α-Al2O3 was chosen because of its chemical inertness, high mechanical strength, resistant to corrosion, wear and tear. The present study focuses on the comparison of doping of PMMA in HAp and PMMA-doped HAp coating on α-Al2O3, which is being studied first time. The changes in the phase, surface morphology, corrosion resistance, optical contact angle and mechanical behaviour of both the coated and doped samples were studied. The hardness of the coated samples and the doped samples was found to be higher than the pure HAp samples. The dielectric properties of both the samples were studied, and it was observed that initially at lower frequency, the impedance of doped samples was lower in comparison to coated samples. Coated samples showed higher contact angle in comparison to doped samples. Clotting behaviour was studied using whole blood clotting method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Millets are small‐seeded annual crops grown as cereal grains. They are known for their nutritional benefits and their role in preventing health problems. These grains are classified into major and minor millets. Kodo millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum), one of the minor millets, originated from Africa as a drought‐resistant crop and was domesticated in India in 3000 BC. It is grown in various states of India and is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The Kodo seed is rich in phytochemical compounds and dietary fibers with remarkable storage properties. It can be stored for extended periods under normal storage conditions and is found as a famine crop, which means it can be used as an alternative to major cereals. Kodo millet is a rich source of phenolic compounds known for their antioxidant properties. It also contains antinutritional factors that can limit its use, but these can be reduced by proper processing methods to enhance its food applications. Different traditional methods, such as milling, decortication, roasting, germination, and fermentation, along with novel techniques such as microwave, cold plasma and ultrasound treatment significantly impact the value addition of Kodo millet and the development of various food products. Therefore, this review provides valuable information on the nutritional profile, processing methods, and food applications of Kodo millet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to estimate the, exhalation rate, and natural radioactivity in the soil of Roopnagar district, Punjab. The radon mass and surface exhalation rate ranged from 1.18 mBq kg−1 h−1 to 5.72 mBq kg−1 h−1, with an average value of 2.68 mBq kg−1 h−1, and from 4.89 mBq m−2 h−1 to 23.58 mBq m−2 h−1, with an average value of 11.09 mBq m−2 h−1, respectively. The activity concentration of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K was found to be 31.9 Bq kg−1, 44.1 Bq kg−1, and 419.0 Bq kg−1, respectively. The air absorbed dose rates of radionuclides 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K had an average value of 14.88 nGyh−1, 27.4 nGyh−1, and 5.89 nGyh−1, respectively. The total air absorbed dose from all radionuclides ranged from 19.5 nGyh−1 to 87.7 nGyh−1, with an average value of 48.1 nGyh−1, which is discovered to be well below the levels considered dangerous by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human beings are constantly exposed to radioactivity in the environment. As they are major sources of harmful radiation, radionuclides found in the atmosphere might result in a substantial potential risk to living beings. On the Earth's surface, the radioactive elements uranium and radium are naturally present, contributing to radon and thoron gases in the indoor as well as outdoor climate, soil and water. Radon is one of the most important toxins that, after cigarette smoking, is the second most common cause of generating lung cancer. Due to these health-related concerns, a lot of work has been undertaken by numerous research organizations to determine their levels at different locations throughout the world. This paper is an attempt to comprehensively report with different techniques all those studies being carried out in this part of India so that a current assessment of the indoor radon levels should be available for further work in this field. Six northern Indian states, viz. Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan , Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand are considered for this examination. This study also provides data on exhalation rates and activity concentration of natural radionuclides (226Ra, 232Th, and 40K) present in these states.

Background: Post operative sore throat is a very dreadful and 2nd most common complications in patients undergoing tracheal intubations and is developing as major reason of patient' s dissatisfaction. Incidence of 21-68% has been reported in studies. We compared Magnesium sulphate gargle and nebulization in preventing POST. Materials and Method: After obtaining written informed consent and permission from institutional ethical committee, 70 patients scheduled for surgery under GA were enrolled and equally divided randomly by chit and box method in two groups: Group A: nebulized with 3ml of isotonic Magnesium sulfate for 15 minutes at 5mins before induction of anaesthesia. Group B: Patients were given Magnesium sulfate gargle (20mg/kg in 30ml of 25 % Dextrose water) at 15 minutes before induction of anaesthesia. Haemodynamic parameters -H.R, SBP, DBP, R.R and SpO 2 was measured intraoperatively. After extubation, severity of POST was assessed at 0hr, 2hrs, 4 hrs, 6hrs, 12 hrs, 24hrs and 48 hrs by VAS scale and grading of POST was done by 4 point scale (0-3) and compared between the groups. Results: On comparing the groups, no significant statistical difference was found between haemodynamic parameters. The mean score of POST was significantly more in group N at 2,4,6 and 12 hours (p value-0.001,0.01,0.002 and 0.001).VAS score was observed significantly more in group N patients in compare to group G at 0,2,4,6 and 12 hours after extubation (p value-0.018,0.007,0.012,0.001 and 0.022).No significant complications were found. Conclusion: It was concluded that Magnesium Sulphate relieves sore throat and complaint of cough and hoarseness by both route But Gargle proved to be simple and effective way to reduce POST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Deploying mobile health vans (MHVs) to service disadvantaged, underserved mountainous hamlets across six districts of Uttarakhand on a “fixed day-fixed location” strategy was an effective initiative in the state in collaboration with Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) and NRHM. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study was to provide quality diagnostic and curative care through mobile health clinics at select mountainous outreaches of Uttarakhand state. Materials and Methods: A bimonthly mobile health services with fully equipped MHV sponsored by the directorate of science and TIFAC and assessment council and Government of Uttarakhand on a “fixed day, fixed time and fixed place” schedule were provided along pre-designated service locations. Results: A total of 77,688 beneficiaries received services through 902 camps spanning 13 quarters with an estimated 5976 and 89 beneficiaries per quarter per camp; 573 clients received ultrasound, 639 X-ray, 34 ECG, and 3543 other lab procedures. Quarterly demand for services was highest, 19.5% for gastrointestinal disorders, followed by 18.4% for musculoskeletal disorders, 13.8% for genitourinary system disorders, 11.8% for respiratory system disorders, and 8.5% for ENT and ocular disorders. The prevalent morbidity was predominantly acid peptic disease (15.5%), followed by osteoarthritis (13.3%) and low backache and renal stones (7.2% each). Conclusion: Integrating mobile health service delivery component with existing strategies adopted by public health system in primary health care is an operationally feasible and viable option to address ‘inaccessibility at disadvantaged mountainous outreach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The health hazards of radon and its decay products above certain levels are well known. However, for any preventive measures to be taken, we have to be aware of radon levels of that particular area. Measurement of radon and its decay products in indoor environments is an important aspect of assessing indoor air quality and health conditions associated with it. Keeping this in mind, measurements of radon, thoron and their progeny concentrations were carried out in Mohali, Northern India, using pinhole-based twin cup dosimeters. Radon exhalation rates of soil samples in the dwellings/areas were measured via an active technique of a continuous radon monitor. The indoor radon concentration in Mohali varied from 15.03 ± 0.61 Bq/m3 to 39.21 ± 1.46 Bq/m3 with an average of 26.95 Bq/m3 ,while thoron concentration in the same dwellings varied from 9.62 ± 0.54 Bq/m3 to 52.84 ± 2.77 Bq/m3 with an average of 31.09 Bq/m3. Radon progeny levels in dwellings under study varied from 1.63 to 4.24 mWL, with an average of 2.94 mWL, while thoron progeny levels varied from 0.26 to 1.43 mWL , with an average of 0.84 mWL. The annual dose received by the inhabitants of dwellings under study varied from 0.78 to 2.36 mSv, with an average of 1.61 mSv. The in situ gamma dose rate varied from 0.12 to 0.32 mSv/h.

An investigation on passive measurement of indoor radon and thoron concentration was carried out in 50 dwellings of the Patiala district of Punjab, India. A one-year study was conducted to cover all the seasons, and seasonal variation of these radioactive gases was reported. All the measurements were performed using pin-hole dosimeters for passive measurement of radon and thoron gases and their progeny for different seasons. To quantify attached and unattached progeny concentration, DRPS/DTPS and wire-mesh DRPS/DTPS were deployed with dosimeters. The average radon and thoron concentration in all the seasons was below the ICRP action level limit of 200-300 Bq/m³. Out of all season's data, the maximum value of radon and thoron was observed during the winter and the minimum for summer. The ratio of radon and thoron concentration for different seasons was also calculated in this report. Average annual indoor concentrations are compared with the average concentration of different seasons. It was concluded that the average concentration value is very near to monsoon season values, suggesting that the monsoon season is ideal for radon and thoron measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study reports the indoor radon levels in the ambience of some residences in Jinddistrict, Haryana. Assessment of absorbed dose due to inhalation of these radioactive gases is critical as a high dose of such gases is hazardous to human health. Pinhole dosimeters with LR-115 solid-state nuclear track detectors were suspended in 50 dwellings for passive measurement of indoor radon and thoron gas. Direct radon/thoron progeny sensors were also attached with dosimeters for equivalent equilibrium radon/thoron concentration measurements. This study calculates the annual absorbed ingestion dose from indoor radon/thoron concentration. From the results, it can be concluded that the absorbed doses are within the permissible limit. The average radon concentration is also below the ICRP recommendations of 200 Bq/m³- 300 Bq/m³. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

226Ra, 232Th, their decay products 222Rn, 220Rn and 40K significantly contribute to the mean dose from natural background radiation. This study reports the concentration of radionuclides in Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORMS) and Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (TENORMS) of the Shivalik region of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. The activity of radionuclides 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in different NORMS (soil, sand, rocks) and TENORMS (tiles, marble, cement) were calculated by Gamma spectrometry method using an HPGe detector. Radon mass exhalation and thoron surface exhalation rates were also determined using a Smart RnDuo monitor for the above samples. From the results, it could be concluded that the radon mass exhalation rate and radium activity were obtained to be maximum for tile no. 2 and minimum for white marble samples. Similarly, the thoron surface exhalation rate and thorium activity occurred maximum in tile no. 2 and minimum for safedi. The radium equivalent activity (Raea), gamma activity concentration index (I), internal hazard index (Hint) and external hazard index (Hext) were computed using appropriate relations. The values range between 5.858 to 188.944, 0.0403 to 1.377, 0.028 to 0.615 and 0.015 to 0.510 having mean values of 107.256, 0.685, 0.325, and 0.256, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the seasonal variation of indoor radon/thoron and their progeny concentrations measured in 50 dwellings in the Gurugram district of Haryana state, India. Single-entry pinhole dosimeters were used for the measurement of radon and thoron concentration, and for the measurement of attached and unattached progenies of these gases, direct radon and thoron progeny sensor with and without wire-mesh were employed. The absorbed inhalation dose to people in the area was calculated for different seasons, and the total average inhalation dose from all seasons was also calculated. The average indoor radon and thoron concentration values were below the ICRP action level of 200-300 Bq/m3 for all seasons. Also, the average absorbed inhalation dose for all seasons is below the action limit in the study area. It was also discovered that the highest concentration of radon and thoron gas is reported in the winter season and the lowest in the summer season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among numerous applications of Solid-State Nuclear Track Detector (SSNTD), one important application is estimating radon and thoron concentration in an indoor environment. The primarily used SSNTD for this application is LR-115. Studying the behaviour of these SSNTDs for different etching solutions is essential. In this report, Lithium hydroxide solution was used to etch LR-115 SSNTD. The study of the thickness of the film removed is carried out at different normality of etching solution to study the effect of normality of etching solution on the bulk etch rate. The change in bulk etching rate with the change in temperature of the etching solution was also put out in this study. From the results, it is discovered that the bulk etch rate is directly proportional to the normality and temperature of the etching solution. Additionally, it can be deduced that the LiOH bulk etching rate of LR-115 has lower values when compared to those of other alkaline hydroxide etching solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both improving agricultural soil productivity and maintaining its quality are now the focal points of ongoing research in agriculture. The purpose of this research is to examine the soil's health, and in order to do so, a survey was carried out in which the physicochemical parameters and the macronutrients of agricultural soils from two districts in the state of Punjab (Hoshiarpur and Nawanshahr) were analyzed. Around 40 composite soil samples were taken from 0 to 15 cm depth and critically assessed. This study analyzed soil's colour, texture, pH, electrical conductivity and organic carbon physicochemical parameters. The soil sample's colour varied from light yellow to dark solid brown, and its texture was observed to be sandy loam, which was analyzed through the sedimentation process and feel method. The soil sample's pH was slightly alkaline, and the electrical conductivity showed the expected results. Organic carbon was found in the medium and surplus ranges in the studied fields. According to the results of the macro-element analysis, the soil samples lacked Potassium concentration while having excessive levels of Nitrogen and Phosphorous. These results were compared to the normal range of values for healthy soil, and the discrepancy was found to be statistically significant. This research points out that phosphorus and nitrogen-based fertilizer, likely to be urea and other synthetic fertilizers containing phosphorus, had been overused without considering the soil's health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]