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Particulate matter (PM) in the air has significant implications for human health and the environment, particularly in urban areas with high concentrations. This study focuses on the isotopic (δ13C and δ15N), elemental (CNS) as well as the total carbon to total nitrogen ratio (TC/TN) characterization of PM in Trombay, Mumbai. Monthly atmospheric dust samples were collected from 2016 to 2020 during the premonsoon and postmonsoon seasons. The average elemental concentrations for premonsoon samples were N (1.73% ± 0.25%), C (7.38% ± 0.72%), S (0.84% ± 0.13%), and TC/TN ratio (4.38 ± 0.86). For postmonsoon samples, the average elemental concentrations were N (1.47% ± 0.185%), C (6.95% ± 1.04%), S (0.84% ± 0.13%), and TC/TN ratio (4.80 ± 0.94). The average δ13C values for premonsoon and postmonsoon seasons were −24.31 ± 1.15‰ and −24.56 ± 1.20‰, respectively. The average δ15N values for premonsoon and postmonsoon seasons were 5.22 ± 1.92‰ and 4.57 ± 1.32‰, respectively. The resultsshowed variationsin elemental concentrations between the seasons, with higher values observed in premonsoon samples which can be attributed to increased dust generation from land and sea. Overall, this study provides insights into the local sources and characteristics of PM in the Trombay area and highlights the importance of long-term monitoring to understand the seasonal variations in PM composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To study the effect of different polymers on the solubility and dissolution rate of cefuroxime axetil (CFU) prepared by emulsion solvent diffusion (ESD) technique. Methods: The ESD technique employed involved three test solvents: first, substance dissolution medium-good solvent (acetone); second, partial dissolution medium for the substance-bridging liquid (dichloromethane), and third, immiscible with the substance-poor solvent (distilled water). The pure CFU and the prepared agglomerates were characterized in terms of production yield, drug content, solubility, in vitro release profile, flowability, density, wettability, as well as by thin layer chromatography (TLC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transforms infra red spectroscopy (FTIR) and stability test. Results: DSC showed a decrease in the melting enthalpy indicating disorder in the crystalline content. XRD also indicated changes in crystallinity, FTIR revealed that there were no chemical changes in the recrystallized agglomerates while dissolution data demonstrated a marked increase in the dissolution rate (>55 % in 45 min) compared with the pure drug (35% in 45 min). The improvement in the dissolution rate of CFU from optimized crystal formulation was attributed to the wetting effect of the polymers, change in drug crystallinity, altered surface morphology and micronization. The recrystallized agglomerates also exhibited higher wettability and flowability. Conclusion: The optimised recrystallized agglomerates exhibited good solubility, wettability, dissolution rate and other physicochemical properties compared to the unmodified CFU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salmonella Typhi has been an important human-restricted pathogen from time immemorial, and unfortunately, the indiscriminate use of antibiotics has induced the emergence of multidrug resistance in S. Typhi. Bacteriophage therapy may be a possible alternative in countering antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, this study was planned to assess the efficacy of bacteriophages in treating acute and chronic S. Typhimurium infection in the mouse as a surrogate model. We isolated bacteriophages against S. Typhimurium and selected three different bacteriophages for the in vivo experiments. The lethal dose of S. Typhimurium was decided for Swiss albino mice, and acute infection was developed. Further, bacteriophage therapy by daily intraperitoneal injection of phage cocktail was given for 14 days. While the chronic carrier state of S. Typhimurium in Swiss albino mice was developed by inoculating intraperitoneally sequential 10-fold increasing doses of the bacterium. On the successful establishment of carrier state, oral feeding of phage cocktail at a high count was given, which completely cured the carrier state within 7 days of feeding. These experiments confirmed that the phage cocktail could eradicate the S. Typhimurium from the mice in both types of infections, that is acute and chronic., (© 2022 The Society for Applied Microbiology.)

A community based cross sectional study was carried out in married reproductive age group women in Urban Health Centre field practice area of Govt. Medical College, Aurangabad. The study aimed to find out extent and socio-demographic correlates of unmet need for family planning. 20.54% of married women in reproductive age had unmet need for contraception, 3.61% for spacing births and 16.93% for limiting births. The main reasons for unmet needwere, littie perceived risk of pregnancy due to perimenopausal age (32.471/o) lactation (31.16%), ignorance (12.32%) etc.