Optimised neem oil-bilayer tablets: A safe, effective and stable tool for the prevention of vector-borne disease outbreaks by Aedes albopictus.

The control of mosquito breeding is an essential step towards the reduction of vector-borne disease outbreaks. Synthetic larvicidal agents produce resistance in vectors and cause safety concerns in humans, animals and aquatic species. The drawback of synthetic larvicides opened a new avenue for natural larvicidal agents, but poor dosage accuracy, need for frequent applications, low stability and sustainability are the major challenges with them. Hence, this investigation aimed to overcome those drawbacks by developing bilayer tablets loaded with neem oil to prevent mosquito breeding in stagnant water. The optimised batch of neem oil-bilayer tablets (ONBT) had 65%w/w hydroxypropyl methylcellulose K100M and 80%w/w ethylcellulose in its composition. After the completion of 4th week, 91.98 ± 0.871% azadirachtin was released from the ONBT, which was followed by a subsequent drop in the in vitro release. ONBT reported long-term larvicidal efficacy (>75%) and a good deterrent effect which was better than neem oil-based marketed products. The acute toxicity study on a non-target fish model (Poecilia reticulata), OECD Test No.203 confirmed the safety of the ONBT on non-target aquatic species. The accelerated stability studies predicted a good stability profile for the ONBT. The neem oil-based bilayer tablets can be used as an effective tool for the control of vector-borne diseases in society. The product may be a safe, effective and eco-friendly replacement for the existing synthetic as well as natural products in the market.

Prevalence of early childhood caries among preschool children in Trivandrum and its association with various risk factors.

BACKGROUND: Early childhood caries (ECC) is a severe form of dental decay with multi-factorial origin. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence and related risk factors of ECC among preschool children residing in rural and urban areas of Trivandrum district in Kerala. METHODS: A sample size of 1329 preschool children of <60 months of age was randomly selected from rural and urban areas of Trivandrum and decayed missing filled teeth indices were recorded. A standardized questionnaire was distributed to the parents. The data were subjected to SPSS version 16 and statistically analyzed with Chi-square test. RESULTS: Prevalence of ECC in the study sample was found to be 54%. Furthermore, a positive association was obtained between ECC and age of the child, location of residence, dietary habits, and oral hygiene habits. CONCLUSION: There is an urgent need to implement preventive and curative oral health programs for preschool children in rural and urban areas.

An automated pipette puller for fabrication of glass micropipettes.

Glass micropipettes are versatile probing tools for performing micro- and nano-manipulation tasks. This paper presents the design and development of an automated pipette puller system for fabrication of glass micropipettes. The pipette puller employs a new strategy for fabrication of micropipettes that enables achieving independent control of their taper, tip diameter, and bend-angle, and also facilitates theoretical derivation of simple, approximate relationships between the pipette shape and the pulling parameters. Subsequently, the design and fabrication of the pipette puller is described, which include that of the pipette heating system, the mechanical motion stages, and the control electronics of the pipette puller. The fabricated pipette puller is experimentally evaluated to demonstrate control of the taper, tip diameter, and the bend-angle of the micropipette. Further, the dependence of the taper and tip diameter on the pulling parameters is evaluated and is shown to be in alignment with the proposed theoretical relationships.