Assessment of alkylimidazolium chloride ionic liquid formulations for cleaning and disinfection of environmental surfaces.

BACKGROUND: Surface disinfection is fundamental to good environmental hygiene and preventing infections. Development of newer formulations that can effectively kill and remove microorganisms from the surfaces is desired. METHODS: Here, we assessed the efficacy of 1-hexadecyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride [C16MIM][Cl] ionic liquid (IL) and its formulation in ethanol for killing and removing bacteria from different environmental surfaces. Efficacy of IL and its formulation was determined on known monospecies bacterial cultures and unknown multispecies bacterial cultures on environmental surfaces. RESULT: The surface disinfection efficacy of [C16MIM][Cl] was concentration dependent and achieved 41 to 100% reduction in total viable bacterial counts of Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria at varied concentrations. The treatment of wooden surface with 0.1% [C16MIM][Cl] caused 98% reduction in bacterial load within 20 s contact time as against mere 45% reduction (20 s) with 70% ethanol. Antibacterial and surface disinfection activities of [C16MIM][Cl] have increased markedly when prepared in 70% ethanol, suggesting synergistic activity. A formulation comprising of 0.01% [C16MIM][Cl] in 70% ethanol showed effective surface disinfection and achieved 95% to 98% reduction in bacterial load on different surfaces. CONCLUSION: Ionic liquids are potent candidates for disinfection of environmental surfaces.

Dealers in Black Gold: Knowledge Attitude, and Practices Among Fecal Sludge Operators in Bengaluru, Southern Karnataka.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Fecal sludge management (FSM) is an unorganised sector, which is wrought with occupational health hazards for fecal sludge operators (FSOs). This study was conducted to identify the knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding FSM among FSOs. STUDY SETTING AND DESIGN: This cross-sectional study was conducted in a rural area of Anekal Taluk, Bengaluru Urban District, Karnataka and in Hosur, Krishnagiri District, Tamil Nadu. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Snowball method of sampling was employed and, 60 participants were interviewed using an interviewer administered semi-structured questionnaire. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The data has been described using measures of central tendency, frequencies, and percentages. RESULTS: All 60 participants were males with a mean age of 33.7 ± 7.9 years. Majority practised Hindu religion (98.3%) and 95.0% belonged to the scheduled castes; only 3.3% were illiterate. According to modified SLI, 45.0% belonged to high standard of living. The common occupational hazards reported were injuries, social stigma, and alcoholism. Although 91.7% felt that personal protective equipment (PPE) would protect against health hazards, 65.0% felt that it hampered work. Most (86.7%) felt that FSM was attached to social stigma. None reported the use of the full set of required PPE. All participants reported washing their hands and feet with only water at the end of each operation. CONCLUSION: The knowledge and practices followed by the FSOs were found to be inadequate in this study. Health awareness generation and provision of PPE must be employed to ensure sustained behaviour change.

Impulsively Excited Gravitational Quantum States: Echoes and Time-Resolved Spectroscopy.

We theoretically study an impulsively excited quantum bouncer (QB)-a particle bouncing off a surface in the presence of gravity. A pair of time-delayed pulsed excitations is shown to induce a wave-packet echo effect-a partial rephasing of the QB wave function appearing at twice the delay between pulses. In addition, an appropriately chosen observable [here, the population of the ground gravitational quantum state (GQS)] recorded as a function of the delay is shown to contain the transition frequencies between the GQSs, their populations, and partial phase information about the wave-packet quantum amplitudes. The wave-packet echo effect is a promising candidate method for precision studies of GQSs of ultracold neutrons, atoms, and antiatoms confined in closed gravitational traps.

An efficient and high-yielding method for extraction and purification of linamarin from Cassava; in vitro biological evaluation.

During the last three decades, studies of linamarin extracted from cassava have received increased attention due to the presence of high cyanogenic compounds in these extracts. The methods that are utilized to isolate linamarin are either tedious or use acidic conditions resulting in poor yields. In this study, a novel cryocooled method of extraction has been developed to isolate linamarin from Cassava root peel. Approximately 18 g of linamarin was isolated from 1 kg of fresh Cassava root peel, which is the highest amount reported to date. Linamarin was fully characterized using NMR, IR and LCMS. The anti-cancer properties of pure linamarin and Cassava crude extract were evaluated by a comprehensive cytotoxic assay, using MCF-7, HepG2, NCI H-292, AN3CA and MRC-5 cell lines. The crude extract showed higher cytotoxicity compared to pure linamarin. The results of the biological evaluation are comparable to other reported studies in the literature.

Development of a Comprehensive Antenatal Risk Assessment Tool to Predict Adverse Maternal and Perinatal Outcomes in Rural Areas: An Exploratory Study.

Objective: To develop a comprehensive antenatal risk assessment tool to predict adverse maternal and early perinatal outcomes in a rural setting. Materials and methods: Cross-sectional study among women admitted for delivery in a rural maternity hospital, south India. Risk factors from Rotterdam Reproductive Risk Reduction (R4U) scorecard and social factors relevant to Indian rural context were included in questionnaire. Maternal and perinatal outcomes were obtained from in-patient records. Logistic regression of risk factors associated with adverse outcomes and weighted scores assigned using beta-coefficients. Cut-off score to predict adverse outcome was derived using Receiver Operator Characteristic Curve (ROC Curve) and Likelihood ratios. Results: Adjusted odds for adverse outcome highest for small for gestational age by ultrasound scan [OR=7.4 (1.4-36.5)], tobacco chewing [OR=5.6 (1.8-28.5)] and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy [OR=3.5 (1.9-9.6)]. After assigning weighted scores, the 74-item antenatal risk assessment tool had a maximum possible score of 86. Risk score was calculated for all subjects. Cut-off score to predict adverse outcome was 4, using ROC curve, with a sensitivity of 98%, a specificity of 21% and positive likelihood ratio of 1.23 (1.10-1.37). Conclusion: This comprehensive antenatal risk assessment tool is easy to administer, specific to rural areas and can help community-level workers to screen, monitor, and refer high risk pregnancies for further management to prevent adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes. This may be considered a prototype towards developing more robust antenatal risk screening and outcome prediction in rural settings.

Microwave-controlled efficient Raman sub-harmonic generation.

We propose a novel scheme for efficient Raman sub-harmonic generation in a system of inhomogeneously broadened atomic vapor with atoms in a closed three-level Λ-configuration. The key feature underlying Raman sub-harmonics generation is microwave-induced hyperfine coherence between the two lower level metastable states. We show explicitly how the amplitude and phase of the microwave field generate controllable spectral amplitudes of Raman sub-harmonics. Our scheme is viable in currently available atomic vapor cells thereby opening the way for efficient sub-harmonic generation in standard experimental setups.

Sudomotor function assessment as a screening tool for microvascular complications in type 2 diabetes.

Sudoscan, a non invasive, quick, and simple method to measure sweat function, was evaluated as a screening tool for microvascular complications in type 2 diabetes. AUC of the ROC curve for detection of microvascular complication was 0.75 for an autonomic risk score, with a sensitivity of 82% and a specificity of 61%.