Environmental impact of microplastics and potential health hazards.

Microscopic plastic (microplastic) pollutants threaten the earth's biodiversity and ecosystems. As a result of the progressive fragmentation of oversized plastic containers and products or manufacturing in small sizes, microplastics (particles of a diameter of 5 mm with no lower limit) are used in medicines, personal care products, and industry. The incidence of microplastics is found everywhere in the air, marine waters, land, and even food that humans and animals consume.

A proposal for a quality system for herbal products.

Today, there is an increasing worldwide demand for botanicals. Developing countries heavily rely on plant-derived medicines for their primary healthcare. One reason amongst many is the relatively inexpensive process economics and the lack of stringent product governance associated with the exploitation of traditional plant medicines compared with modern medicine.

Poly(HEMA-Zidovudine) conjugate: a macromolecular pro-drug for improvement in the biopharmaceutical properties of the drug.

A macromolecular pro-drug of a known anti-viral agent Zidovudine (AZT) was synthesized and evaluated as a sustained drug delivery system. The pro-drug was synthesized by coupling the drug to 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) through a succinic spacer to get a monomeric drug conjugate which was polymerized to obtain the polymeric pro-drug. The pro-drug was subjected for in-vitro drug release study in buffers of pH 1.

In vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in a known case of intracranial hydatid cyst.

We are presenting magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) findings of a known case of hydatid cyst operated twice in the past. A 22-years-old male patient had presented with recurrent symptoms of generalized seizures and raised intracranial tension. MRI with MRS of the lesion was performed that showed a recurrent loculated cystic lesion in right parieto-occipital lobe.

Signet ring cell adenocarcinoma of the urachus.

Signet ring cell adenocarcinoma of the urachus is an extremely rare variety of adenocarcinoma of the urachus; only 23 cases have been reported in the literature to date. In the present report we discuss two more cases of this type and review the literature. For our first case, a 17-year-old man was treated with partial cystectomy with en-bloc excision of the urachus and umbilicus.