Search

Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has reinforced the use of personal protective equipments in healthcare settings. Although filtering face piece 2 respirators provide adequate protection from the aerosolised viral spread, their prolonged use is often associated with subjective discomfort. The study aimed to identify whether an intervening mask-free period is less harmful in terms of discomfort and desaturation when compared against continuous use for 6-h. Material and Methods: This was a prospective and interventional study. A cohort of 87 previously healthy nurses from a multidisciplinary tertiary care hospital were recruited. Study participants were subjected to continuous and intermittent (with 15 min break) mask use, each for a 2-month duration, during their 6-h clinical shifts. Baseline and post-shift oxygen saturation (SpO2) were compared in real time using cumulative sum (CUSUM) statistics. Comfort level was also assessed on a scale of 0–10 in the two groups with 10 subjective parameters. Results: Nurses have experienced a significant drop in SpO2 in both phases with 525 and 984 recordings in continuous and intermittent mask group, respectively. The mean % (2SD) saturation drop in the two groups was 4.688 (39.35) and 1.169 (2.62). The overall discomfort level was more in the continuous phase (8.89 ± 1.610) than in intermittent (7.28 ± 3.216) mask use. CUSUM statistics helped in the real-time monitoring of subjects in the intermittent mask group. Conclusions: Significant adverse health effects in healthcare workers are highlighted using objective and subjective parameters such as desaturation and discomfort levels while using protective face masks. A mask-free period of 15 min, in between their duty shifts, might help reduce the unfavourable effects without compromising efficacy.

The objective of study was to find an association between the timing of tracheostomy with duration of mechanical ventilation (MV) and length of stay (LOS) in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and hospital.The data were collected prospectively from 2000 to 2018 and were analyzed retrospectively. Data included clinical diagnosis, indication, and duration (days) of MV, LOS in PICU and hospital before and after tracheostomy. Patients who did not receive MV or underwent MV for24 h were excluded. According to the indication of tracheostomy enrolled patients were divided into four groups-airways anomalies (AA), central neurological impairment (CNI), cardiopulmonary insufficiency (CPI), and neuromuscular disorders (NMD). Patients in each group were divided into early (ET) and late tracheostomy (LT) category based on the median (interquartile range interquartile range [IQR]) days of pretracheostomy MV.Two hundred and fifty six patients were analyzed. The frequency and median [IQR] days of pretracheostomy MV were -AA 54 [7(3,16)], CNI 120 [12(9,16)], CPI 51 [25(16.5,30.5)], and NMD 31[12(8,16.5)]. In AA patients, median (IQR) durations of posttracheostomy MV [2(1,5.2) versus 3.5(2,12); p = 0.032], PICU [7(5,8.2) versus11(7,18); p = 0.004] and hospital [12(9.7,21) versus 21.5(12,28); p = 0.027] stays were lower in ET as compared with LT group. Posttracheostomy MV duration was significantly short in ET patients with CNI and NMD (p 0.005). The total days of MV, PICU and hospital stay were significantly lower in ET as compared with LT patients in all four groups (p 0.01).As compared with LT, ET patient had shorter durations of total MV and PICU and hospital stay.

A thorough Human Factors Engineering (HFE) process was implemented to develop a new Teriparatide Pen for the treatment of osteoporosis. The pen provides a cost-effective treatment alternative to branded teriparatide pens. The HFE process ensured that the pen was safe and effective to use and fulfilled the regulatory requirements.The HFE process utilized a risk-based approach that included understanding the users and other use characteristics, preliminary analyses including a thorough risk assessment, a formative and two validation studies. The studies were carried out with intended users - patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals (HCPs) - in the form of simulated use assessments.The preliminary analyses supported the design of the pen's user interface, including its Instructions for Use (IFU). The formative study helped to optimize the user interface. The validation study results were largely favorable but indicated a minor scope for improvement. The IFU was therefore further improved, and a bridging validation study assessed the revised IFU and found it to be effective in supporting the correct use of the pen.The HFE process ensured and demonstrated that the Teriparatide Pen was safe and effective for its intended use.

Disruption in the normal anatomy and physiology of the skin often leads to wound formation. Its healing is a pretty complex and dynamic biological process with different phases. While there are many biopolymers (and their derivatives) for wound healing purposes. One of the most popular, promising, progressive and attention-grabbing biopolymers is 'chitosan'. It is a polysaccharide biopolymer that has tremendous potential in augmenting the process of wound healing. Most importantly, the derivatives of chitosan have heavily attracted the scientific community's attention to employing them in various formulations for wound healing applications. The prime focus of the present review is to provide scientific and technological prospection about chitosan and its derivatives for wound healing activity, starting from 2010 to 2020. Besides, the review also focuses about toxicity, different formulations and products of chitosan that are currently under clinical trials for wound healing purposes are described. Through this review, we present evidence that abundantly confirms that there is a growing interest in the domain of wound healing using novel, inventive, useful and patent protected chitosan derivatives. We speculate the possibility of more patent protected chitosan derivatives in the future for wound healing applications.

Objective The aim of the study was to identify early predictors of mortality in children with severe dengue fever admitted to pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Materials and methods All consecutive children with laboratory-confirmed severe dengue fever were enrolled in this prospective observational study. Besides demographic data, disease severity and organ dysfunction scores, laboratory investigations and interventions are done in PICU were recorded and analyzed. Results During the study period of 42 months, 172 patients with dengue fever were admitted to PICU. A total of 78 (45.3%) patients with severe dengue fever were included and analyzed. There were 20 (25.6%) deaths. There were significant differences in disease severity and organ dysfunction scores, transaminases, blood lactate level and serum creatinine between survivors and nonsurvivors. A significantly higher number of nonsurvivors required interventions in first 24 hours of admission. Platelet counts (P value 0.22) and hematocrit (P value 0.47) were not statistically different in 2 groups. There was a significantly high vasopressor-inotrope score (VIS) ( 10% (0.002) in nonsurvivors. Multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis identified serum glutamic pyruvic transaminases (≥ 284 IU/L; odds ratio [OR] 1.002, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.001-1.003), blood lactate level (≥2.73 mmol/L; OR 2.08, 95% CI: 1.354-3.202), Pediatric Risk of Mortality score at 12 hours (≥14.5; OR 1.35, 95% CI: 1.077-1.693), VIS (≥22.5, OR 1.129, 95% CI: 1.059-1.204) and positive fluid balance >10% (OR 22.937, 95% CI: 2.393-219.84) at 24 hours of admission as independent predictors of mortality. Conclusion Disease severity, hyperlactatemia at admission, need for multiple vasoactive drugs and positive fluid balance are predictors of mortality in severe dengue infection in children admitted to PICU.

The present study demonstrates the synthesis of eco-friendly metal oxide-clay composites (MgO-clay and CaO-clay) with phytochemical functionalization. The physical and chemical properties of prepared composites were characterized using standard techniques viz. scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The effect of pH on the dye adsorption capability of the synthesized composites was studied. The adsorption of an anionic dye methyl orange (MO) and a cationic due methylene blue (MB) was favored in the acidic and basic regions, respectively. The Taguchi design approach was adopted for the removal of MO and MB from wastewater using the synthesized composites. The obtained results suggest that initial dye concentration and composite dosage were the most influential parameters in dye removal among all the studied parameters. The adsorption experiments were carried out using MgO-clay and CaO-clay composites with the optimum conditions obtained from Taguchi optimization to validate the predicted response. The experimental parameters viz. the effect of contact time, initial dye concentration, and solution temperature were studied for screened composite (CaO-clay) with optimized conditions. The obtained results were interpreted using standard isotherms and kinetic models. A maximum adsorption capacity of 571 ± 10 and 859 ± 14 mg g

In ancient India, the entire education system was based on Hinduism. Vedic literature was the main source of education in ancient India. Majority of students were boys or men, there is also education for girls, but the number of schools and guru or gurukul that existed at that time were few. During the entire Muslim rule, which spanned the Sultanate and the Mughal period, education received great support from the state. The Muslim rulers established many mosques, madrassahs, libraries, etc. During the reign of Akbar, education progressed greatly compared to the Tughlaq dynasty. The history of modern education in India begins with the establishment of the East India Company. Francis Xavier, one of the most famous missionaries in history, arrived in India and started to organize street classes. The main goal of the missionaries was to convert the original Indians to Christianity. In 1937 Wardha Scheme or the Wardha committee formed and Dr Zakir was appointed its chairman. Committee submitted its report, were all the resolution mention by Gandhiji were placed. Finally, the Scheme of National Education was adopted by Indian National in 1938. It was an institutionalized center named after the school British Invasion. After independence, India's education system requires a quick overhaul. Several committees and commissions were tasked with reviewing educational issues. The Education Commission (Kothari Commission) was established in 1964-66. New Education Policy, known as the National Policy on Education 1986, was announced in 1986. Ministry of Human Resource Development (formerly the Ministry of Education) has replaced the 34-year-old National Policy on Education. The policy will transform India into a flourishing knowledge hub, based on the pillars of Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability, and Accountability. In rural India, the literacy rate is only 73.5 percent. More than half of children aged 3 to 16 are unable to read and execute arithmetic. In comparison, the number of schools in urban India is significantly higher. Gaps can be seen in a variety of ways. The Indian government has initiated a number of schemes to boost education in rural areas. It aims to ensure that education is of equal quality at all levels of schooling. The government's initiative determines how the structure is built, programs are launched, and plans are carried out. During the 2018-19 school year, 9.12 crore children benefited from hot prepared healthy food served in 11.35 lakh schools. NCERT books are now available in a digital format for free on e-PATHSHALA. Diksha is a digital platform for instructors to enhance their ability in a variety of ways. The National Education Policy – 2020 has the ability to alter the Indian educational system. It contains a number of recommendations aimed at providing high-quality education to both urban and rural communities. Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Groups is a new term used by the document (SEDGs). The new education policy stresses the construction of a visual lab where students may put their theoretical knowledge into practice, as well as making course content available in several languages. The NEP 2020 also mentions combining a big number of schools with a small number of students and teachers into a single building. The new education policy will promote skill-based learning and enhance students' practical skills. Music, art, and literature will be included in all higher education courses. Sociology, statics, mathematics, literature, and language are just a few ofthe subjects that might assist students in their overall development. NEP 2020 aims to ensure that great students, particularly from rural areas, enter the teaching profession. It further recommends that to promote universal participation, more efforts should be made to make Olympiads and contests in many fields available in rural regions and in regional languages. All Higher Educational Institutes will provide high-quality medical care to all their students. n India, a greater focus on new life skills like coding will assist to build a stronger pipeline of future leaders. The transition from rote to conceptual learning will provide a child with the foundational abilities to enroll in a course based on aptitude and competencies. It also adds skills from grade 6 onwards, ensuring that every kid has at least one skill by the end of his/her schooling.

The prevalence of asthma is increasing rapidly, worldwide, due to changing gene-environment interactions. The rate of rise is more in resource poor nations due to lack of knowledge and non-availability of expertise. Monitoring of lung functions is mandatory for diagnosis and further management of asthmatic patients. Spirometry, the widely available investigation, is the gold standard test used for mapping pulmonary dynamicity. It has got its own limitations in the form of operational difficulties in children, the elderly, and in those with neuromuscular or behavioral issues. In the current era of COVID-19 pandemic, the utility of spirometry has been further restricted to selected cohort only, due to potential risk of viral transmission during the procedure. Oscillometry technique has been used previously, to monitor lung functions, with promising results. Ultrasonic waves of various frequencies accompany the tidal breath of patients and respiratory impedance is calculated by measured pressure and flow signals from exhaled breath. The results are interpreted in the form of resistance, reactance, resonant frequency, and reactance area. Various manufacturers have developed different mechanical models with slight variation in impulse pattern till date. There are certain distinct advantages of oscillometry over spirometry. Being tidal breath-based maneuver, it is more child friendly. People with neuromuscular weakness, cognitive limitations, and the elderly can easily perform it with only minor understanding and effort. Oscillometry is more sensitive than spirometry in detecting peripheral airway diseases. Post-bronchodilator reversibility can be evaluated by comparing with the baseline respiratory characteristics. Their utility in restrictive diseases and vocal cord dysfunction has also been explored. Less aerosol generation during the normal tidal breath is another advantage of oscillometry, over spirometry needing forceful efforts, which makes it more suitable for use in viral pandemic situations for monitoring patients with both asthma and pneumonia. More research is needed, in various geographic locations and heterogeneous populations, to devise the normative data of oscillometric parameters. Simultaneously, there is an urgent need for standardization of available machines at global platform.

Aim and objective To study the profile, indications, related complications, and predictors of decannulation and mortality in patients who underwent tracheostomy in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Materials and methods Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of tracheostomies was done on patients admitted at PICU. Demographics, primary diagnosis, indication of tracheostomy, and durations of endotracheal intubation, mechanical ventilation, and tracheostomy cannulation were recorded. The indication was recorded in one of the four categories—upper airway obstruction (UAO), central neurological impairment (CNI), prolonged mechanical ventilation, and peripheral neuromuscular disorders). Results Two hundred ninety cases were analyzed. UAO (42%) and CNI (48.2%) were main indications in the halves of the study period, respectively. Decannulation was successful in 188 (64.8%) patients. Seventy-seven percentage UAO patients were decannulated successfully [OR (odds ratio); 95% CI (confidence interval), 2.647; 1.182–5.924, p = 0.018]. Age

Background: Lung cancer is the most common and lethal cancer around the world. Computed tomography (CT) is an integral imaging technique for staging the lung cancer. Aim of this study was to correlate the multidetector CT (MDCT) findings of lung nodule with histopathological examination, as well as to assess the diagnostic accuracy of MDCT in evaluation of suspected lung nodule. Methods: One hundred patients with clinical or radiological suspicion of lung nodule referred for CT scan of thorax were included in the study. Histopathological analysis was performed. The location of the lesion was analysed and nodules were classified. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) was done with spinal needle under all aseptic precautions. The results obtained by MDCT were analysed and compared with histopathological findings done by CT guided FNAC. Results: Average age of patients was 65 years, 25 % were females and 75 % were males. Among all the patients 66 % of lesions were located in right side lung and 34 % of lesions were left in location. Of all, 2 % patients had lesions less than 3 cm, 11 % patients had lesion between 3-4 cm, 19 % patients had lesion between 4-5 cm, 26 % patients had lesion between 5-7 cm and 42 % patients had lesion greater than 7 cm. Many of these patients also presented with enlarged lymph nodes, most commonly mediastinal (73 %) followed by subcarinal (51 %), hilar (44 %) and supraclavicular (4 %) lymph nodes. The most common histological findings of lung nodules analysis were adenocarcinoma (41 %). Among the 100 patients 58 % had lesions located peripherally while 42 % had central lesions. CT was a highly sensitive (95.45 %) and moderately specific (75 %) test and also had a high positive predictive value (96 %) to diagnose malignant lung nodule. Conclusion: CT guided FNAC of lung nodule is a safe, minimal invasive procedure with a high diagnostic accuracy. The use of CT-guided FNAC in hilar and mediastinal nodules can avoid unnecessary exploratory surgery for staging and also diagnosis could be made with lesser cost.

The traditional oral dosage forms (tablets, capsules, syrups, and elixirs) suffer from various disadvantages. They are pretty challenging to administer to patients with dysphagia, mucositis, and vomiting tendency. Therefore, gaining patient compliance using conventional dosage forms is highly cumbersome. One of the most transformative and innovative approaches to overcome such challenges is Orodispersible Films, a Novel Drug Delivery System. They are easy to consume, no need to chew or swallow and they do not even require water for consumption. Therefore, several drugs have been converted into orodispersible films to gain patient compliance. With the advent of these film formulations, new innovations are erupting and accordingly, companies in India are actively protecting them by filing ordinary patent applications in India and internationally under the Patent Cooperation Treaty. Patenting in India poses unique patentability challenges when compared with rest of the world. Nonetheless, meeting all the challenges and obtaining a valid patent not only help in recouping the cost involved in developing new drugs and its novel drug delivery systems but also helps in taking legal action against alleged infringers. This review article identifies key active Indian players in the domain of ODF based on their patent filings in India (and abroad) and also identifies the challenges they face to obtain a grant.

Orodispersible Film (ODF) is a promising and progressive dosage form that offers exceptional drug delivery benefits to patients. Indeed, they are the most transformational alternatives to traditional/conventional dosage forms such as tablets and capsules. ODFs are portable and highly comfortable for self-administration by patients with swallowing problems. The key to gain end-user acceptance is to have an ODF with outstanding quality. Poor quality may lead to choking or spitting, accordingly leading to a lack of compliance. It is vital to employ suitable experimental methodologies that facilitate characterization or determination of the quality of ODF. Nonetheless, there are no standard techniques prescribed in official compendia of any country. But, there is a consensus in the thin-film research community about the characterization techniques that one relies on deciding the quality of an ODF. We review various experimental techniques and highlight its importance in determining the performance and quality of an ODF. We provide a relatively novel and inventive disintegration test apparatus, which works using ‘Light Dependent Resistor (LDR) and Light Emitting Diode (LED) sensors’ for clear and accurate determination of start and end disintegration time of an ODF.

Biological route is one of the viable options to mitigate CO2 from its point sources. The major purpose of the review article is to discuss the possible utilization of microbial cultures for the mitigation of CO2. The article also highlights the scaling-up approach for biological processes especially when microbial cultures are utilized for the same. Few recent studies reported the chemoautotrophic fixation of CO2(g) by catalyzing thermodynamically favored but kinetically inhibited oxidation-reduction or electron donor-acceptor scheme of dissolved inorganic compounds. The previous studies have confirmed the utilization of different bacterial strains for the mitigation of 5%, 10%, and 15% CO2(g) in the absence of light and its simultaneous conversion into valuable products in the lab scale bioreactor. The recent studies also revealed the possibility of prokaryotes to assimilate CO2(g) via carbon concentration mechanism (CCM). The article summarizes the biological route for the natural assimilation of CO2(g) into biomass at the expense of very less energy penalty, via photoautotrophy and chemolithotrophy. The chemolithotrophs utilizes different concentrations of CO2 and thiosulfate salts as an energy source for the non-photosynthetic process. The identification of products using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GCMS) studies is also entailed. The concept of material balance approach is explained to established the mechanism of CO2(g) mitigation through bacterial route. The obtained results pave the way for further development of CO2 utilization technology at larger scales.

Iron deficiency is the principal cause of nutritional anemia and it constitutes a major health problem, especially during pregnancy. Despite the availability of various non-invasive traditional oral dosage forms such as tablets, capsules, and liquid preparations of iron, they are hard to consume for special populations such as pregnant women, pediatric, and geriatric patients with dysphagia and vomiting tendency. The objective of the present study was to develop and characterize pullulan-based iron-loaded orodispersible films (i-ODFs). Microparticles of iron were formulated by a microencapsulation technique, to mask the bitter taste of iron, and ODFs were fabricated by a modified solvent casting method. Morphological characteristics of the microparticles were identified by optical microscopy and the percentage of iron loading was evaluated by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The fabricated i-ODFs were evaluated for their morphology by scanning electron microscopy. Other parameters including thickness, folding endurance, tensile strength, weight variation, disintegration time, percentage moisture loss, surface pH, and in vivo animal safety were evaluated. Lastly, stability studies were carried out at a temperature of 25 °C/60% RH. The results of the study confirmed that pullulan-based i-ODFs had good physicochemical properties, excellent disintegration time, and optimal stability at specified storage conditions. Most importantly, the i-ODFs were free from irritation when administered to the tongue as confirmed by the hamster cheek pouch model and surface pH determination. Collectively, the present study suggests that the film-forming agent, pullulan, could be successfully employed on a lab scale to formulate orodispersible films of iron. In addition, i-ODFs can be processed easily on a large scale for commercial use.

In the present study, synthesis of eco-friendly Cu-based metal oxides nanoparticles [CuO, Cu

Today’s society is faced with many upfront challenges such as the energy crisis, water pollution, air pollution, and global warming. The greenhouse gases (GHGs) responsible for global warming include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (NOx), water vapor (H2O), and fluorinated gases. A fraction of the increased emissions of CO2 in the atmosphere is due to agricultural and municipal solid waste (MSW) management systems. There is a need for a sustainable solution which can degrade the pollutants and provide a technology-based solution. Hence, the present work deals with the custom design of a loop photobioreactor with 34 L of total volume used to handle different inlet CO2 concentrations (0.03%, 5%, and 10% (v/v)). The obtained values of biomass productivity and CO2 fixation rate include 0.185 ± 0.004 g L−1 d−1 and 0.333 ± 0.004 g L−1 d−1, respectively, at 10% (v/v) CO2 concentration and 0.084 ± 0.003 g L−1 d−1 and 0.155 ± 0.003 g L−1 d−1, respectively, at 5% (v/v) CO2 concentration. The biochemical compositions, such as carbohydrate, proteins, and lipid content, were estimated in the algal biomass produced from CO2 mitigation studies. The maximum carbohydrate, proteins, and lipid content were obtained as 20.7 ± 2.4%, 32.2 ± 2.5%, and 42 ± 1.0%, respectively, at 10% (v/v) CO2 concentration. Chlorophyll (Chl) a and b were determined in algal biomass as an algal physiological response. The results obtained in the present study are compared with the previous studies reported in the literature, which indicated the feasibility of the scale-up of the process for the source reduction of CO2 generated from waste management systems without significant change in productivity. The present work emphasizes the cross-disciplinary approach for the development of bio-mitigation of CO2 in the loop photobioreactor.

Torrefied materials produced from agricultural waste is regarded as one of the most efficient renewable energy source. By recycling the waste materials through optimized torrefaction process, coal like material can be produced. The raw materials are heated up in a sealed, oxygenless environment at 300 °C. At this temperature, many of the volatiles in the material begin to decompose and part of the sappy lignin that binds the material together breaks down and vaporizes. This study focuses on exploring to convert agricultural waste to torrefied material, the biocoal through fast and slow conversion process. The waste vegetable biomass material selected for this study were waste cauliflower, lettuce and coriander. Proximate, ultimate and TGA analysis were done after drying and pulverizing the material. The powdered samples were pelleted and their calorific values and yield were recorded. Torrefaction was conducted under 300 °C for a given residence time at a fast and slow heating rate. The torrefied material, especially from coriander residue gave the highest yield and calorific value under slow torrefaction process of 46.6% and 16.45 MJ/kg respectively. The high carbon content in biocoal makes potential coal substitute for use in thermal conversion systems. The material is densified after torrefication, the remaining lignin in the product, requires no binding agent to make the pellets, briquettes and bricks for co-firing applications.

Objectives To explore the aetiological, clinical and radiological profiles of patients with LETM presenting to this tertiary care hospital in North India. Patients and methods All eligible LETM patients presenting to our hospital between April 2015 and Jan 2016 were prospectively studied. A total of 37 patients were included and after thorough history, examination, relevant laboratory and radiological investigation, were profiled according to the various aetiologies of LETM. Results Our study included 37 patients (62% males and 38% females). Most patients were young (21–30 years). Main aetiologies of LETMp were NMO (8), inflammatory (9), idiopathic (6), NMOSD (4), Vitamin B12 deficiency (4) and others (6). Most patients (62%) had acute onset of symptoms except NMOSD and B12 deficient patients who presented subacutely too. NMO group was most disabled (poor Rankin and MRC assessments) at presentation; prognostically no (87%) or minimal improvement (13%) at discharge was seen in this group compared to other aetiologies. Forty point five percent patients had thoracic sensory complaints. CSF (pleocytosis 62%) and raised protein (81%) and brain abnormalities on MRI were seen in 11% patients. Bladder and optic nerve involvement (75.7% and 35% patients respectively). Seventy five percent NMO and 67% probable inflammatory aetiology patients also had B12 deficiency. Conclusion This study concludes that LETMp has varied aetiologies with NMO having more disability and poorer outcomes. Thoracic cord segment is most commonly involved. Vitamin B12 deficiency may predispose patients to inflammatory LETM including NMO syndromes.

Introduction Acute abdominal pain accounts for about 8% of all children attending the emergency department (ED) (Balachandran et al., 2013). In spite of being a common symptom seen in children, it is not uncommon for it to be a manifestation of a serious surgical emergency. There are inadequate published data from India regarding the spectrum of acute abdominal pain in children. Objective The objective of this study was to assess the clinical profile of children with nontraumatic acute abdominal pain admitted in the pediatric ED. Methodology This prospective observational study was conducted between June 2016 and July 2017. All the records of children aged between 2 and 18 years presenting with complaints of abdominal pain were collected in a predesigned proforma at the time of admission in the pediatric ED. Children who had undergone previous abdominal surgery and those with a history of trauma were excluded. Results A total of 720 children attending ED with complaints of abdominal pain were seen by the surgical team. According to their final diagnosis, they were divided into two groups: group I, 58 (8%; surgical); group II, 662 (92%; nonsurgical). Mean age of presentation was 7.5 ± 5.7 years; male-to-female ratio was 1.6:1. Detailed history and pain characteristics help in establishing the cause of pain. Conclusion The cause of pain in more than 90% of children presenting in the pediatric ED with complaints of abdominal pain is nonsurgical. Constipation was the most common diagnosis in these children, followed by acute gastroenteritis. Only in 8% children, the cause of pain is surgical, and acute appendicitis is the most common surgical cause.

Orodispersible films (ODFs) are ultra-thin, stamp-sized, elegant, portable and patient-centric pharmaceutical dosage forms that do not need water to be ingested. They are particularly useful for paediatric and geriatric patient populations with special needs such as dysphagia, Parkinson's disease, and oral cancer. Accordingly, they hold tremendous potential in gaining patient compliance, convenience and pharmacotherapy. In the present review, conception and evolution of ODFs as a product and its technology are discussed. The review continues by providing overview about the potential of ODFs as carriers for delivering drugs, herbal extracts, probiotics and vaccines. Besides, strategies employed in drug cargo loading, taste masking of bitter drugs and enhancing drug stability are discussed. Finally, the review concludes by providing a brief overview about quality by design (QbD) principles in development of ODFs.

Background: Lung function testing is recommended for the management of asthma. Due to certain limitations of conventional spirometry in vulnerable patients, forced oscillation technique (FOT) has been studied with promising results. As there is a paucity of data from developing world, we planned to conduct this study in children using FOT. To assess airway reversibility after inhaled salbutamol in asymptomatic children with suspected asthma. Settings: This study was conducted at pediatric asthma clinic of a tertiary care referral hospital in North India. Design: This was a prospective interventional study over 1-year period. Subjects and Methods: Asymptomatic children between 2 and 18 years of age, with history suggestive of asthma, were eligible for participation. Baseline and postbronchodilator pulmonary functions were assessed using FOT. Airway resistance and reactance were monitored at various frequencies. SPSS version 17 was used for statistical analysis. Results: Among the 345 enrolled children, baseline mean ± standard deviation total airway resistance (R5), central airway resistance (R19), peripheral airway resistance (R5–R19), reactance (X5), and resonant frequency (Fres) were 6.85 ± 2.60, 5.23 ± 1.93, 1.6 ± 1.16, and − 2.54 ± 1.36 cmH2O/L/s and 17.28 ± 3.06 Hz. The median (interquartile range) percentage change after inhaled salbutamol was 19.9 (11.40, 29.12), 22.86 (6.88, 38.76), 14.08 (3.40, 22.62), 39.20 (8.20, 62.39), and 15.79 (8.33, 27.27) in respective parameters. All changes were statistically significant. The studied respiratory variables were in maximum negative correlation with height, followed by body mass index. Conclusions: FOT is a simple technique for monitoring lung functions in children during asthma management.

Orodispersible film (ODF) formulations are promising and progressive drug delivery systems that are widely accepted by subjects across all the age groups. They are traditionally fabricated using the most popular yet conventional method called solvent casting method. The most modern and evolving method is based on printing technologies and such printed products are generally termed as printed orodispersible films (POFs). This modern technology is well suited to fabricate ODFs across different settings (laboratory or industrial) in general and in a pharmacy setting in particular. The present review provides an overview of various printing methods employed in fabricating POFs. Particularly, it provides insight about preparing POFs using inkjet, flexographic, and three-dimensional printing (3DP) or additive manufacturing techniques like filament deposition modeling, hot-melt ram extrusion 3DP, and semisolid extrusion 3DP methods. Additionally, the review is focused on patenting trends in POFs using ESPACENET, a European Patent Office search database. Finally, the review captures future market potential of 3DP in general and ODFs market potential in particular.

Halophilic bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa gi|KP 16392| isolated from Sambhar salt lake in the southwest region of the city of Jaipur, India was tested for the first time for potential application in waste engine oil bioremediation and simultaneous biosurfactant production. In this study, the batch experiments were performed on culture grown in mineral salt medium supplemented with 5% (v/v) waste engine oil as the sole carbon source incubated for a week at pH 7.0, maintaining 35 °C and 150 rpm. The bacterial growth was monitored by the optical density and dry biomass content measurements. The biosurfactant production was affirmed with the reduction in surface tension of the culture medium from 72 ± 0.36 to 29.61 ± 0.14 mN/m. Of the total waste engine oil fed, 74.35 ± 0.037% was consumed and biodegraded to secondary metabolites. The biosurfactant yield was found to be approximately 1.02 g/L. The functional groups in the product, identified with the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirms to be rhamnolipid and characterized using microbial adhesion to hydrocarbon (math) test and methyl assay. The emulsification activity of the produced biosurfactant was assessed for various hydrophobic substrates and was found to be comparable to the chemical surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate). The biosynthetic pathway (de novo synthesis) used by microbial strain to form rhamnolipid is schematically represented. The performance of the purified biosurfactant in oil recovery application was tested using a simulated waste engine oil contaminated soil and it showed excellent surface activity.