Enhancing nutrient use efficiency (NUE) with minimal threat to environment has become critical for our agriculture food production systems (FPS) to sustain the burgeoning population. Nanotechnology with nanoscale inputs for production of nano agri-inputs (NAIPs) has emerged as an innovative solution for addressing issue of low or declining nutrient use efficiency (NUE) with minimal environment footprint. Nanotechnology is a promising field of research which has the potential to offer sustainable solutions to ever pressing challenges confronting our modern intensive agriculture. Nanotechnology employs nanomaterials which typically have small size (1–100 nm) which imparts unique characteristics and benefits. In addition to numerous other benefits, large surface area to volume ratio offers opportunity for better and effective interaction of nanoparticles to target sites. Nano-fertilizers hold potential to fulfil plant nutrition requirements along with imparting sustainability to crop production systems and that too without compromising the crops yield. Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) - the farmers’ own fertilizer cooperative has been in the forefront for promotion of agro-technologies and novel agri-inputs to mitigate problems faced by the farmers. It has indigenously innovated at its Nano Biotechnology Research Centre (NBRC) at Kalol, Gujarat and succeeded in R& D and manufacturing of proprietary nano-fertilizers viz. nano urea, nano zinc, and nano copper. These nano-fertilizers utilize the dynamics of shape, size, surface area and bio-assimilation. There efficacy was evaluated on the basis of multi-location multi-crop trials under varying crop seasons, both by the research institutes and also on the progressive farmers’ fields across 11,000 locations on 94 crops across India. Independently, nano nitrogen, nano zinc, and nano copper have also been tested for bio-efficacy- bio safety- toxicity and environment suitability. IFFCO nano-fertilizers meet alll the current national and international guidelines related to nano technology or nano scale agri-inputs.They are in sync with OECD testing guidelines (TGs) and “Guidelines for Testing of NAIPs and Food Products” released by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. Harvested produce of crops applied with IFFCO nano-Urea, nano-zinc, and nano-copper have been found fit for consumption with no adverse effect. This paper reviews the benefits of nanofertilizers (Nano N, Nano Zn and Nano Cu) towards increasing nutrient use efficiency and crop productivity and produce quality in general and the journey of IFFCO nano-fertilizers (IFFCO’s Nano Urea, Nano Zn and Nano Cu) from conception to PILOT to PLANT stage has also been covered in this paper.

A microwave-assisted highly efficient intermolecular CÀH functionalization sequence has been developed to access substituted isoquinolones using a-amino acid esters as a directing group. This methodology enables a wide range of N-benzoyl a-amino ester derivatives to react via a Ru-catalysed CÀH bond activation sequence, to form isoquinolones with moderate to excellent yields. As an additional advantage, our strategy proved to be widely applicable and also enabled the reaction of alkenes to provide access to alkenylated benzamides. The methodology was also extended towards the synthesis of isoquinoline alkaloids derivatives viz. oxyavicine and a dipeptide. The developed protocol is simple and cheap, avoids tedious workup procedures and works efficiently under MW irradiation.

A microwave-assisted highly efficient intermolecular domino carbopalladation/C-H functionalization sequence has been developed to access bis-heteroaryl frameworks in a single operation. The reaction involves carbopalladation of the halogenated acrylamides or phenylpropiolamides by the Pd(0) catalysis, followed by the direct (hetero)arylation to give products with good to excellent yields. The synthetic utility of this method was also extended towards the application of the Ugi-adduct as the starting material.

No abstract

The interaction between leukocytes and the vascular endothelial cells (EC) via cellular adhesion molecules plays an important role in the pathogenesis of various inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Small molecules that block these interactions have been targeted as potential therapeutic agents against acute and chronic inflammatory diseases. In an effort to identify potent intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) inhibitors, a large number of arylalkyl ketones, benzophenones, desoxybenzoins and chalcones and their analogs (54 in total) have been synthesized and screened for their ICAM-1 inhibitory activity. The structure-activity relationship studies of these compounds identified three potent chalcone derivatives and also demonstrated the possible mechanism for their ICAM-1 inhibitory activities. The most active compound was found to be 79.

Objective:To determine the drug utilization pattern of antihyperglycemic agents (AHA) in a tertiary care teaching hospital.Materials and Methods:This was a prospective observational study. All the relevant data were collected and drug utilization pattern of AHA was determined. Direct cost associated with the use of antihyperglycemic medicines was calculated and consumption of the antihyperglycemic medicines was measured as defined daily dose (DDD)/100 bed-days. The adverse drug reactions (ADRs) related to anti-diabetic medicines were monitored.Statistical Analysis Used:Chi square test (χ2), mean±standard deviation.Results:During the study period, 350 patients diagnosed as diabetes mellitus (DM) were admitted. Insulin was prescribed as monotherapy to 81% and to 52% patients during hospital stay and discharge, respectively. Increase in utilization of insulin was recorded in majority of the patients due to presence of co-morbid conditions or resistance to oral hypoglycemic drugs. Use of insulin at the time of discharge decreased significantly (P<0.05) by 29%. Among the oral AHA, combination of glimepiride with metformin was more prevalent during hospital stay and at the time of discharge monotherapy of metformin followed by glimepiride was more prevalent. During hospital stay, cost of AHA was found to be Rs. 95.27 ± 119.03. The total antihyperglycemic drug consumption in the medicine ward during study period was 13.42 DDD/100 bed-days. Fifty ADRs were reported and descriptions of ADRs were found to be only hypoglycemia.Conclusion:The study exhibited a significant increase in the utilization of two drug combination therapies and monotherapy of oral AHA and decrease in the utilization of insulin at the time of discharge.

Background: Few comparative studies regarding prognostic scoring systems for community acquired pneumonia (CAP) are available from Indian context.Methods: Hospital-based prospective study to test the comparison between confusion, urea, respiratory rate, blood pressure, age over 65 years (CURB-65), Pneumonia severity index (PSI) and infectious diseases society of America/American thoracic society criteria (IDSA/ATS) scoring systems in patients with community acquired pneumonia.Results: CURB-65 class ≥III, PSI class ≥IV and patients who needed admission to intensive care unit (ICU) based on IDSA/ATS criteria were having sensitivity of 41.7%, 91.7% and 87.5% in predicting ICU admission with a specificity of 89.5%, 59.2% and 73.7% respectively. Their sensitivity in predicting death were 44.4%, 88.9% and 83.3% with a specificity of 87.8%, 54.9% and 68.3% respectively. In both PSI score and IDSA/ATS criteria risk scoring systems, mortality rate, need for ICU admission increased progressively with increasing scores but CURB-65 score did not show this correlation. The PSI class ≥IV was more sensitive in predicting ICU admission than CURB-65 and IDSA/ATS criteria.Conclusions: PSI was most sensitive in both predicting ICU admission and death whereas CURB-65 is most specific in predicting ICU admission and death. But CURB-65 is least sensitive in both predicting ICU admission and death. Even though IDSA/ATS criteria did not have highest sensitivity and specificity as single criteria it had modest sensitivity and specificity in predicting ICU admission and death.

No abstract