Enhancement of oral bioavailability of fenofibrate by solid self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems.

A solid form of self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (Solid SMEDDS) was developed by spray-drying with dextran as the inert solid carrier, to improve the oral bioavailability of a poorly water-soluble drug, fenofibrate. The optimized liquid SMEDDS, composed of Labrafil M 1944 CS/Labrasol/Capryol PGMC (15/75/10%v/v) with 10% w/v fenofibrate gave a z-average diameter of around 240 nm. There was no significant difference in the mean droplet size and size distribution of the emulsions obtained from the liquid and solid forms of SMEDDS.

Development and optimization of self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system with enhanced bioavailability by Box-Behnken design and desirability function.

The aim of our study was to characterize and optimize a self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) formulation by a three-factor, three-level Box-Behnken design (BBD) combined with a desirability function. The independent factors were the amounts of Capryol PGMC (X(1)), Tween 20 (X(2)), and Transcutol HP (X(3)). The dependent variables were droplet size (Y(1)), equilibrium solubility (Y(2)), and cumulative percentage of drug released in 15 min (Y(3)) from the SNEDDS formulation.

In-vitro assessment of cell-mediated immunity by demonstrating effector-t cells for diagnosis of tuberculosis in Nepalese subjects.

The immune response against mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) is cell mediated. T-cells become sensitized when they encounter MTB antigens and subsequently activated effector T-cells produce a number of cytokines including interferon- gamma (INF-gamma) to fight the infecting organisms. Demonstration of either production of INF-gamma or presence of effector T-cells sensitized to MTB specific antigens in vitro can be diagnostic for TB infection.

Assessment of biochemical profiles in premenopausal and postmenopausal women with breast cancer.

Objective: The study was conducted to assess biochemical profiles in premenopausal and postmenopausal women having breast cancer.

Materials And Methods: A hospital based case control study was carried out at Manipal Teaching Hospital (MTH), Pokhara, Nepal. The analysed variables were age, metabolic profile including total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-C, LDL-C, blood sugar, insulin concentration, C-peptide, HbA1c and selenium.

Prevalence and association of microalbuminuria in essential hypertensive patients.

Background: Microalbuminuria in hypertension has been described as an early sign of kidney damage and a predictor for end stage renal disease and cardiovascular disease. Thus, it is of great importance to study urinary albumin creatinine ratio and progression of kidney disease in hypertensive patients.

Aims: The present study was undertaken to find out the prevalence and association of microalbuminuria in newly diagnosed essential hypertension.

Metabolic changes enhance the cardiovascular risk with differentiated thyroid carcinoma--a case control study from Manipal Teaching Hospital of Nepal.

Objective: To evaluate several metabolic changes in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC ) which enhance cardiovascular risk in the western region of Nepal.

Materials And Methods: This hospital based case control study was carried out using data retrieved from the register maintained in the Department of Biochemistry of the Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal between 1st January, 2009 and 31st December, 2011. The variables collected were age, gender, BMI, glucose, insulin, HbA1C, CRP, fibrinogen, total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, VLDL, f-T3, f-T4, TSH.

Serum amyloid a as an independent prognostic factor for renal cell carcinoma--a hospital based study from the Western region of Nepal.

Objective: The objective of our present study was to assess the role of serum amyloid A (SAA) in stages and prognosis of renal cell carcinoma.

Material And Methods: It was a hospital based retrospective study carried out in the Department of Medicine and Biochemistry of Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal between 1st January 2008 and 31st December 2011. The variables collected were SAA, CRP.

Improved diagnostic accuracy of pancreatic diseases with a combination of various novel serum biomarkers--case control study from Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal.

Background: Pancreatic cancer is a distressing disease with a miserable prospects and early recognition remains a challenge due to ubiquitous symptomatic presentation, deep anatomical location, and aggressive etiology. False positives and problems in distinguishing pancreatitis from adenocarcinoma limit the use of CA 19-9 as both disorders can present with similar symptoms and share radiographic physiognomies. This study aimed to assess the relative increase in accuracy of diagnosing the patients with chronic pancreatitis, benign neoplasm of pancreas and adenocarcinomas with CA 19-9, haptoglobin, and serum amyloid A in comparison to CA 19-9 alone.

Liver involvement in multiple myeloma: a hospital based retrospective study.

Objective: This study was to assess liver involvement in multiple myeloma with the aid of liver function tests.

Materials And Methods: A hospital based retrospective study was undertaken using data retrieved of multiple myeloma from the register maintained in the Department of Biochemistry of the Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal between 1st January, 2007 and 28th February, 2012. We collected biomarkers of liver profiles including bilirubin (Total, Direct and Indirect), total protein, albumin, AG ratio, SGOT, SGPT, ALP, γGT, LDH, ferritin, renal profile and hematological profile.

Prostate biomarkers with reference to body mass index and duration of prostate cancer.

Objective: This study was performed to assess prostate biomarkers with reference to body mass index and duration of prostate cancer.

Materials And Methods: A hospital based retrospective study was undertaken using data retrieved from the register maintained in the Department of Biochemistry of Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal between 1st January, 2009 and 28th February, 2012. Biomarkers studied were prostate specific antigen (PSA), acid phosphatase (ACP) and prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (γGT).

Population structure of Blackberry yellow vein associated virus, an emerging crinivirus.

Blackberry yellow vein disease (BYVD), a disorder caused by virus complexes, has become a major threat to fresh market blackberry production in the United States. Blackberry yellow vein associated virus (BYVaV) is the most prevalent virus in the BYVD complexes; detected in about 50% of samples exhibiting typical disease symptoms. Thirty-four virus isolates infecting wild and cultivated blackberries were collected from several areas with high BYVD incidence.

Enhanced solubility and oral bioavailability of itraconazole by combining membrane emulsification and spray drying technique.

The objective of the present study was to enhance solubility and bioavailability of itraconazole by a combined use of membrane emulsification and spray drying solidification technique. A shirasu-porous-glass (SPG) membrane with a mean pore size of 2.5 μm was used to produce monodispersed microemulsions of itraconazole consisting of methylene chloride as the dispersed phase, a mixture of Transcutol HP and Span 20 as a stabilizer, and dextran as solid carrier dissolved in water as the continuous phase.

Efficacy of carcinogenic embryonic antigen in differential diagnosis of diseases of pancreas and liver--a comparative study in a tertiary care hospital of Western Nepal.

Objective: The objective of our present study was to assess the efficacy of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) for differentiating and diagnosis of pancreatic and liver diseases in Pokhara valley.

Materials And Methods: A hospital based retrospective study was carried out using data retrieved from the register maintained in the Department of Biochemistry of the Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal between 1st January, 2011 and 31st October, 2011. Estimation of CEA was performed by ELISA reader for all cases.

Increased cardiogenesis in P19-GFP teratocarcinoma cells expressing the propeptide IGF-1Ea.

The mechanism implicated in differentiation of endogenous cardiac stem cells into cardiomyocytes to regenerate the heart tissue upon an insult remains elusive, limiting the therapeutical goals to exogenous cell injection and/or gene therapy. We have shown previously that cardiac specific overexpression of the insulin-like growth factor 1 propeptide IGF-1Ea induces beneficial myocardial repair after infarct. Although the mechanism is still under investigation, the possibility that this propeptide may be involved in promoting stem cell differentiation into the cardiac lineage has yet to be explored.

Scenario of HIV/AIDS patients in a government hospital of Nepal.

Background: With the increase in the severity of immunosupression, due to HIV infection, there is increase in the flow of patients seeking care and support services. Antiretroviral drugs minimize chance of developing AIDS related opportunistic infection and therefore there would be the prolongation of life of the patients. The objectives of this study are to assess the chief complaints, major opportunistic infections, complications of ART and treatment outcome of hospital admitted HIV patients.

Diodia vein chlorosis virus is a group-1 crinivirus.

Members of the family Closteroviridae have emerged as a major problem in agricultural crops in the past two decades. Diodia vein chlorosis virus (DVCV) is an understudied whitefly-transmitted closterovirus. Given the presence of the primary host for the virus in major agricultural production areas in the United States, we characterized the virus at the molecular level, demonstrating that it belongs in the genus Crinivirus, developed detection protocols, evaluated its host range among hosts known to harbor viruses closely related to DVCV, and confirmed transmission by a second whitefly species, Trialeurodes vaporariorum.

High-performance flat-panel solar thermoelectric generators with high thermal concentration.

The conversion of sunlight into electricity has been dominated by photovoltaic and solar thermal power generation. Photovoltaic cells are deployed widely, mostly as flat panels, whereas solar thermal electricity generation relying on optical concentrators and mechanical heat engines is only seen in large-scale power plants. Here we demonstrate a promising flat-panel solar thermal to electric power conversion technology based on the Seebeck effect and high thermal concentration, thus enabling wider applications.

Effects of long-term use of depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate on lipid metabolism in Nepalese women.

Various synthetic progestogens that are used as contraceptives have been reported to influence lipid and lipoprotein fractions differently. Depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), a synthetic progestogen, is used by Nepalese women as a contraceptive agent. Our study aims to determine the effects of long-term use of DMPA on lipid metabolism.

Use of protein: creatinine ratio in a random spot urine sample for predicting significant proteinuria in diabetes mellitus.

Present study was undertaken during a period of 6 months (September 2008-February 2009) to see an correlation of 24 hours urine protein estimation with random spot protein-creatinine (P:C) ratio among a diabetic patients. The study comprised of 144 patients aged 30-70 years, recruited from Kantipur hospital, Kathmandu. The 24-hr urine sample was collected, followed by spot random urine sample.

katG (SER 315 THR) gene mutation in isoniazid resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Unlabelled: BACKGROUND Isoniazid (INH) together with Rifampicin (RFP) forms the cornerstone of a short chemotherapy course for tuberculosis (TB) treatment. Mutation at codon 315 of katG gene is most prevalent in isoniazid resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and is high in area with high TB incidence. Polymerase Chain Reaction Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) has been found to be a reliable and effective tool for the identification of the specific gene alteration.

Experimental studies on anisotropic thermoelectric properties and structures of n-type Bi2Te2.7Se0.3.

The peak dimensionless thermoelectric figure-of-merit (ZT) of Bi(2)Te(3)-based n-type single crystals is about 0.85 in the ab plane at room temperature, which has not been improved over the last 50 years due to the high thermal conductivity of 1.65 W m(-1) K(-1) even though the power factor is 47 x 10(-4) W m(-1) K(-2).

First Report of Cucumber mosaic virus Infecting Blephilia hirsuta in North America.

Blephilia hirsuta (Pursh) Benth. var. hirsuta, an ornamental plant known as hairy pagoda or hairy wood mint (Lamiaceae), is native to eastern North America and is listed as an endangered species or a species of special concern in several northeastern states ( http://www.

Structure study of bulk nanograined thermoelectric bismuth antimony telluride.

The microstructures of bulk nanograined p-type bismuth antimony telluride with a thermoelectric dimensionless figure-of-merit ZT = 1.4 are investigated using transmission electron microscopy. It is found that the bulk material contains both nano- and microsized grains.

Nanostructured thermoelectric skutterudite Co(1-x)Ni(x)Sb3 alloys.

Nanostructured Ni-doped skutterudites Co(1-x)Ni(x)Sb3 (with x ranging from 0.01 to 0.09) were prepared by ball milling and direct-current induced hot press.

Enhanced thermoelectric figure-of-merit in p-type nanostructured bismuth antimony tellurium alloys made from elemental chunks.

By ball milling alloyed bulk crystalline ingots into nanopowders and hot pressing them, we had demonstrated high figure-of-merit in nanostructured bulk bismuth antimony telluride. In this study, we use the same ball milling and hot press technique, but start with elemental chunks of bismuth, antimony, and tellurium to avoid the ingot formation step. We show that a peak ZT of about 1.